Close Your Eyes, Open Your Heart
by narcotic-lullaby
Summary: What would you do to find someone you love? The same question dawns on Reina when she loses Roxas and has no choice but to go with three strangers on a quest to find him. But, sometimes you need more then your eyes to find something you love...
1. Together Forever?

_It was that dream again._

_I couldn't see anything other than a scene that looked like it was out of a broken TV—there was so much static. The voices I heard were both distorted, as if they were coming from a defective radio:_

"—_listen, you've to get away from here—"_

"_But, what about—"_

"_Don't worry about— you can find us later. Right now, you've got to get away from—"_

"…_Thank you, —"_

_The scene changed, and I felt myself running like I've never ran before. I didn't know where I was going, or why I was going there; all I knew was that I had to get away from the place I was in._

_As soon as I stopped to catch my breath, several black creatures popped out of the ground, joined by white monsters that appeared out of thin air._

_Out of instinct, I raised my arm and the air around my hand shimmered brightly. A long blade shaped somewhat like a key appeared in my hand. I didn't stop to take in the weapon; I just started hitting all of the monsters around me._

_Slashing, lunging, dodging…._

_No matter what I did, there was no sign of them stopping. They kept multiplying and filling the area around me until the only spot they didn't consume was where I was standing. Tendrils of darkness shot up from the ground around my hand, slowly spreading over my body. I struggled to free myself but the darkness wouldn't let go, and I was on the brink of giving up…_

_Suddenly, a person clothed in black appeared in the midst of the darkness and quickly freed me, taking out many of the creatures as well._

"_It's you…" I heard myself say. The person turned themselves to me and lent their hand out to me. A black portal formed behind them. The creatures around me were reappearing, and I took my savior's hand without another thought._

_Everything went black, and I couldn't see that person anymore. I turned around and saw one of my best friends, just standing in the middle of the room of darkness. He had his eyes closed and he looked at peace, as if he were sleeping._

"_Roxas…?" I poked the blond, trying to wake him up. He reacted when I called his name, but when he opened his eyes, I gasped._

_His appearance changed; he now had brown, spiky hair but still had Roxas's bright blue eyes. Those eyes sparkled as the new guy smiled broadly and lent his hand out to me._

_A door of light formed behind him, growing until it engulfed us both._

* * *

Green eyes fluttered open and blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the light of the Usual Spot. Their owner was a young, fifteen year old girl who yawned and glanced around, wondering where her friends were at the moment.

"Where did everyone go?" she thought aloud, stretching.

"Reina! You're finally up!"

Reina looked at the entrance of the Usual Spot and smiled. It was Pence, her teddy-like, brown-eyed friend who always liked to wear an orange jersey over a white shirt with jeans.

"Hey!" she greeted. "Where is everyone?"

"They're out to get work." Pence said simply.

She tilted her head. "Work? What for?"

"Geez, Hayner was right! You _do_ have the memory of a goldfish!" He laughed. "We've got to get enough money so we can go to the beach, remember?"

Reina slapped a hand to her forehead. "I forgot about that!"

"You still have a bunch of time left." Pence assured. "But you've got to hurry before all of the work is taken."

"Did you guys find any?"

"Yeah. I'm going to take some pictures for an event. I think Olette's putting up flyers and Hayner's helping out at the hardware store." Pence took his camera off of the table and put the strap over his head. "Well, gotta run. Make sure you have 600 munny when we meet back at the Station!"

"Yeah, see ya!"

Pence left and Reina hastily made it to the town's main bulletin board, where most of the wanted ads were posted. To her surprise, Roxas was still at the board, leaning on his skateboard and looking lost in thought.

"Hey! Found anything yet?" she greeted him with a smile.

He looked up and smiled back. "No, I'm still deciding between clearing the hardware shop's junk or putting up flyers."

"Oh, Pence told me that Olette and Hayner already took those jobs." Reina said.

Roxas's shoulders slumped. "Then there's nothing else left!"

Reina searched for something Roxas might have missed.

"Mmmm…how about this one?" she pointed to a random flyer.

"Nope. Taken."

"Uh, this one?"

"Seifer put up that one."

"Ugh. Then how about…this one?"

"That one's really old."

Reina sighed. "There really is nothing left on this board, huh?"

"Yeah, I've checked." He suddenly looked excited when he asked her, "You wanna find something to do together?"

She tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear and thought. "You think we'll be able to get enough money like that?"

"Well, we can probably get a lot of work and finish it quickly. We're already kinda behind."

"You're right…." She smiled. "Sure, let's go to Station Heights. I'm sure they have something over there."

They wandered around until they would some work putting away a whole new shipment of sweets at the candy shop. The owner was so impressed with the efficiency of their work that she gave them 240 munny each and a small sample of the new sweets.

"Now just 620 to go!" Reina said cheerily, taking a bite of her candy.

But as they kept trying to look for more work, they found that their first job was the only work they were going to get; all the other work was either taken.

"You snooze, you lose!" Hayner shook a bag of money as they were being turned away by a shop he was working in.

"What now? I bet the rest have loads of money!" Roxas said, crossing his arms behind his head. He was right—it was a couple of hours after noon and all they had was 240 munny each, while the others were bound to have more.

*_There has __got__ to be another way!_* Reina thought, sick of wandering around for hours.

They were at the top of stairs when Roxas turned to Reina. He set his skateboard to the ground.

"Watch me land this." He said with an air of cockiness.

"Just like you tried to land the school stairs?" Reina laughed, talking about the time where Roxas tried to do one of his crazy stunts on the school campus and he accidentally tripped—and fell right on to the principal. The _female_ principal. Along with getting a detention, Pence and Hayner wouldn't stop using it as a joke for weeks.

Roxas's cheeks tinged and he said, "I know I won't this time."

"How can be so sure?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Cause I'm landing this one for you."

Something in Reina's heart lurched. It was these types of things that made Reina like him so much, though she didn't want to admit it. Even though everyone else always joked that they were a couple, she was scared that being in an actual relationship might damage the great friendship they already had because Roxas wouldn't be able to reciprocate her feelings.

He smiled lightly at the look on her face and skated quickly forward. He leapt onto the rail of the stairs and then grinded down till the edge of the rail. When he got to the end, he made another leap and did a 360 in midair.

"That. Was. _Awesome_!" Reina cheered.

"Thanks, I—" Roxas was cut off by a group of three small kids approaching him.

"Hey, mister, that was great!"

"I wish I could do that!"

"We'll give ya 5 munny if you can show us again!"

Roxas smiled and turned down the offer. "You don't have to pay me."

As he went up the stairs and performed the trick again, an idea popped into Reina's mind.

"See ya!" Roxas waved to the kids at the same time Reina cried, "I've got it!"

Roxas tilted his head. "Got what?"

"A way for us to get munny quickly!"

"How?"

"We're gonna put up a show." Reina grinned brightly. "And _you're_ the star!"

"Huh?" Then, he understood when she pointed to his skateboard. He shook his head. "I don't think that'll work."

"Of course it will!" Reina folded her arms and looked at him seriously. "What other option do you have?"

Nothing came across in his mind. Roxas sighed. "Fine…"

Reina grinned and pointed her thumb toward herself. "Great! Now, leave everything to me and you just perform the tricks, kay?"

Even though he had a feeling that something was going to go wrong, Roxas couldn't help but smile at her excited expression.

* * *

In just a few minutes, Reina gathered a crowd around the Sandlot, where Roxas performed a series of tricks. The crowd quite impressed and they cheered and applauded in all the right places. At the end of the performance, Reina collected munny at the end of the performance and bid the audience goodbye.

"That was really fun!" Reina smiled, starting to count the earnings. "We should do that again sometime."

"Nuh-uh!" Roxas shook his head. "Half of the time, I was scared that'll fall onto someone."

Flashes of their principal's expression swam into his mind and they both laughed.

"Well! We've got enough." She said happily, putting all of the munny into Roxas's bag and handing it to him. "Let's head to the beach now!"

They started trekking to the Station, using an alley they used often as a shortcut. They were happily discussing their expectations for their trip to the beach, so they didn't expect to encounter a man clothed in a hooded black robe to stand in their path.

The figure didn't move and the two teens stared at the man with curiosity and caution.

"Well, well. Traitors of a feather flock together, eh?"

The man lowered his hood and revealed himself as a redhead with green eyes. He had black markings underneath his eyes and an amused expression.

Roxas turned to Reina and whispered, "Do you know this guy?"

When Reina shook her head, Roxas took her hand and they passed the red haired man without a word. Reina looked back and was shocked to see that the man disappeared. Into thin air.

"Whoa!"

Roxas stopped abruptly, and Reina looked at what he was glaring at. Her eyes widened to see that the man appeared again, this time with a more saddened expression.

"Don't you guys remember me?" He struck a pose and said, "Got it memorized?"

The two just stared at him strangely and the man sighed. "I guess you don't have it memorized…"

He put a hand to his chin and then looked at Reina with excitement in his eyes. "What about you? I'm sure _you_ will, with your heart and all—"

The man took a step toward her, but Roxas quickly blocked him, holding his skateboard as some kind of weapon.

"Hey cool down, hotshot!" The man took a step back with his hands up. He smirked and said, "I always knew you had a thing for her…"

The teens glanced at each other, turning slightly pink.

"How would _you_ know?" Reina asked, stepping up with Roxas. "Are you stalking us or something?"

The man snorted and looked at them intently. "I've just known you guys for a long time."

He walked past them and patted Reina's head affectionately, just like how a big brother would. The man flashed a great smile at them before disappearing in a cloud of darkness.

It was silent for a moment before Roxas exclaimed, "What a psycho!"

Reina stared at the spot the man disappeared. "I wonder who that guy was."

"He's probably some weirdo magician to cheat us out of our money or something. Or…" Roxas launched into a thousand possibilities of the identity of the redhead.

Reina smiled slightly, glad that Roxas wasn't as freaked out by the encounter as she was.

That man…he was wearing the same outfit as the person in her dream. Was there a connection?

Reina shook her head. *_Nah…it can't be. It was just a coincidence, that's all. There must be thousands of outfits like that, anyways._*

"Or!" Roxas's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. The blonde pulled out a blue, spherical jewel and smiled triumphantly. "It be some a comeback from Seifer for us winning the Struggle tournament!"

Reina smirked and pulled out a jewel similar to the one Roxas had, except it was green. "_We?_ **I** won that tournament, remember? I beat you guys!"

"That doesn't count. The sun was in my eyes then." Roxas muttered, trying to look annoyed.

Reina rolled her eyes and smiled. "_What_ever."

When they were close to the Station, Reina said, "I'm just gonna go and round up the others, okay?"

Roxas nodded. "Be careful. That guy could still be around."

"I'm the Struggle _queen_!" Reina jabbed her thumb toward herself. "He's not gonna bother me."

She smiled brightly, but Roxas still looked a little unsure as he watched her leave. He didn't notice a dark figure, watching…waiting…

* * *

The first person Reina found was Olette, who was looking wistfully at a display of fashionable handbags in the window of a store.

Olette greeted her and gushed, "Look at these! They're so cute!"

Reina merely glanced at the display and agreed; she knew if they started a conversation about Olette's fashion ideas, they'd be stuck there forever.

"I've got the money." Reina said, trying to divert Olette's attention. "What about you?"

Olette nodded and pulled out a small, stuffed bag. "It was easy, since I actually _save_ the money mom gives us."

Reina looked at her sheepishly. "It was a sale last week! I couldn't pass that up!" she said in her defense. Olette smiled.

Even though could pass as sisters, Reina and Olette weren't biologically related; Reina was adopted at a very young age by Olette's parents. Reina was too young to remember what her parents looked like, or how they were. The only moments of her child that she remembered were with Olette and her parents.

"Okay, let's go. Hayner and Pence said that they're gonna wait for us at the Station." Olette told her.

"Great." Reina was turning to leave when Olette asked, "Where's Roxas? Hayner told me you were finding work _together_."

By the interested look on Olette's face, Reina knew what she was implying.

"He's at the Station too." Reina said as casually as possible.

"Oh, was the date fun?"

"There _was_ no date, Olette. We just found some work, that's all."

"Then what's with that smile?"

Reina arched an eyebrow. "What smile?"

"You know, that smile you have whenever you're with Roxas! You had it on when you were walking here…" Olette said teasingly.

"I do…?" Reina shook her head. "It's because we're going to the beach!"

"Mhmm. _Sure_. Don't think I don't know that there's something going on between you two."

It was true, on Reina's part at least, but she knew better than to admit it. "There isn't. We're just…friends."

"Sure." Olette said, looking a little disappointed. Reina used this as an opportunity to divert Olette's focus back to the trip and they both set off to the Station. They were both smiling and excited about the trip when they reached the Station, but it all faded when they saw their other friends' expressions. All the guys looked unhappy and troubled about something.

"What's wrong?"

Pence looked grim. "We can't go to the beach."

"Why not?" Olette exclaimed.

"I lost all of the money we earned." Roxas admitted.

Reina was shocked. "How?"

"Some guy mugged him, apparently."

The girls widened their eyes. "Are you okay?" Reina asked with concern.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Just a little bummed…"

"As long as you're okay…" Olette said, though she looked a little disappointed. They all were.

"Well, what now?" Hayner looked at Central Station wistfully.

"How about some ice cream? That'll always cheer us up." Reina suggested.

They all agreed on this and within a few minutes, they were atop the Station Tower with sea salt ice creams in hand. They were just in time to enjoy the pinks, oranges, and purples that made up the beautiful sunset that Twilight Town was so proudly named after.

Everyone except Pence seemed to be enjoying the ice cream and the scenery, acting as if their vacation plans hadn't been canceled at all. All of a sudden, the brown haired kid pulled out his part of the Struggle trophy and held it up to the sun. The yellow jewel sparkled attractively and it seemed as if it were a real jewel, not a substitute. Everyone imitated Pence and pulled out their part of the trophy, holding it up next to Pence's piece. An iridescent light filled the air around them, and Pence smiled sadly at everyone.

"What's wrong?" Olette asked.

"Do you think we'll be like this forever?" His question hit everyone like a tidal wave.

Everyone went silent for a moment. "Of course," Reina said with confidence. "Why wouldn't we?"

"I dunno…" Pence shrugged. "I just have this weird feeling that we're gonna separate…but, that's what life's all about huh? Accepting changes… "

"That's true…" Hayner said. There was a silence and everyone wore troubled expressions.

"Well, even if we do split when we get older, we just won't forget each other." Roxas smiled.

"You're right." Reina agreed. "If we keep each other in our memories, all these moments—"

"—will never end!" Hayner finished and Reina nodded.

"So, let's make a promise never to forget anyone _or_ these moments!" Olette added with a reassuring smile. Everyone muttered their promises and Pence looked around gratefully at all his friends. A huge burden seemed to be lifted off of him, and he managed a smile.

"This way, these moments will go on…forever and ever." Reina said, looking at the horizon.

"Yeah, forever…" Roxas whispered to Reina. She looked at him and he moved his hand over hers. She intertwined her fingers with his and felt herself smile. When they met eyes, they both looked at each other intently, and it was then that they realized that their feelings were mutual. They both looked back at the sunset, feeling happier than ever before.

*_Forever and ever…with you…_*

* * *

"Wow, it's really dark." Olette noted as she and Reina trudged back home after saying their goodbyes to everyone else.

"Yeah, looks like there's some problem with the power again." Reina pointed to some of the streetlamps that flickered ominously.

*_That's odd…I thought they fixed those last week._* Reina thought, looking at a blinking streetlamp. Suddenly, she heard a loud rustle. She quickly looked around, but it was too dark to make out anything. She assumed it was some animal but she heard it again, and this time it was closer.

"Hey, did you hear that?" she turned to face Olette. But, Olette wasn't anywhere beside her. Reina twisted around and saw her friend, several paces behind her.

"Olette?" Reina instantly felt something was wrong and she approached her friend. In the dimmest light, she saw that Olette was staring blankly ahead, the last of the laughter they shared still in her green eyes. She was standing as still as a statue and at first Reina assumed it was some kind of weird joke, but after a few seconds, she realized something was terribly wrong. She waved her hand in front of the brunette, but she gained no reaction.

*_I've gotta get some help!_ * As she turned around, what she saw also made her freeze. It was a man clothed in a hooded, black robe. His hood covered his face, but Reina was sure that it was the same weirdo from before. A black portal appeared behind him, and Reina was suddenly reminded of her dream.

The man took a step forward and Reina hesitated, not wanting to leave Olette alone in her frozen state. "S-stay away from us!" Reina shouted and held her hands up and tried to look as intimidating as possible, though she knew she couldn't hold him off for long.

Surprisingly, the man stopped. "Us?"

Reina turned and her eyes widened. Olette was gone! But, where did she go…?

Reina did have any time to think about that; the man was approaching her quickly. Reina turned heel as fast as possible and dashed away from there.

'…_you've got to get away from here…'_

Somehow, this all felt familiar…

'…_you've got to get away from…_'

But that was impossible….

'…_you can find us later…._'

Was it?

The man appeared before her bursting from a huge haze of darkness. Without another thought, she turned and ran into the opposite direction.

She didn't realize that she running straight into a door of darkness. Once she disappeared into the portal, the man chuckled.

"That was just too easy…"

* * *

"Have you done what I ask you to?" a male voice asked as a cloaked person appeared beside him. They were in a dark, quite small room, lit only by the light radiating off of the many computers in front of them.

The person nodded. "Yes."

"Good." The man said approvingly. He looked at the computers. "If all goes well, they will both be able to regain all their memories again."

"I'm not so sure, DiZ…" the person said, causing DiZ to look at him as a teacher who has been challenged by a student. "Her memories of Roxas are strong…"

"When she meets _him_," DiZ nodded to the boy on the screen. "Her memories of Roxas will eventually fade, along with Roxas himself. He can't hold on to those memories forever, you know."

"So, he'll just…disappear?"

DiZ nodded. "Yes."

"What a pity…" the man said, with a hint of sympathy in his voice.

"It is the fate of a Nobody."

* * *

"Reina…wake up…_wake up_!"

Reina shot off from her bed and screamed. She held her hands up in front of herself and there was silence for a few seconds before the sound of laughter. Hesitantly, Reina lowered her arms and saw that she was still in her room…no psycho to take her away around here…

The sound of laughter came from Olette, who was holding her stomach and the edge of the bed for support. She was red from laughter, just like how Reina was red from embarrassment.

"What the heck was that?" she asked, when she managed to compose herself.

"Bad…dream?" Reina said sheepishly, scratching her neck embarrassedly.

Olette looked at her with an amused expression before saying, "I'm gonna wait for you by the Usual Spot, then. Hurry up!" And she left, still chuckling over the incident. Reina shook her head.

*_What a crazy dream…_* She hurried downstairs and gobbled down a quick breakfast made by Olette's mom. As she walked over to the Usual Spot, Reina felt herself smile while imagining Roxas's expression when she told him about the dream.

But Roxas wasn't there.

"Hey guys." She greeted, looking around. "Where's Roxas?"

The three just stared at her blankly before saying, "Uh….who?"

"Roxas." She said simply. When they kept looking at her oddly, she said, "You know, blonde hair, blue eyes, goofy smile?"

The three shook their heads. This had _got_ to be some kinda joke…but, it wasn't funny, and they all seemed to be serious…

"Cmon, stop playing around. We were just with him yesterday! On Station Tower! Remember….?"

They all shared worried glances with each other before Pence said, "It was just us four yesterday, Reina…"

Reina looked at all of them in outrage. "How could you all _forget_ him? We made a promise! _Remember_?"

"Reina, are you sure you're feeling okay?" Olette said gently, putting a hand to Reina's forehead. She flinched and said, "No, I'm not…I think I need some air…"

Without another word, she left the Usual Spot and went everywhere and asked everyone. Everyone she met, even the lady who she worked for yesterday, gave the same answer: "Who's Roxas?"

It was like she was in another world.

Every corner she turned to, she held a hope that he'd be there, waiting for her…and every turn she'd always feel disappointed and frustrated. She searched every place twice, and was going for a third time before she started walking around in complete confusion.

How could everyone forget him in one night? _Everyone_ knew him, so how was it possible that their memories of him were wiped in one instant? And why was she the only one to remember him?

*_It's probably that weirdo we met yesterday!_* Reina concluded, deep in her thoughts. *_He probably did something to everyone's memories…but what could it—_*

Reina snapped out of her thoughts when she bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorr—" she stared into a pair of kind, bright blue eye. "Roxas!" she exclaimed, but it wasn't him.

It was the guy from her dream.

* * *

*_Where could she be, where could she be…?_*

Roxas was running, for the second time, around Twilight Town to find Reina. It was strange; she didn't show up with Olette at the Usual Spot today so when he asked about her, everyone said that there _was_ no Reina. They spent so much time together, so many memories, laughter and happiness…he could never forget them, so why did everyone else? Why was it that everyone in Twilight Town, excluding him, suddenly forgot Reina overnight? Whatever it was, he was sure it'll be over when he brought her back home.

He was determined to find her, no matter what, and bring her back to Twilight Town safe and sound. Everyone would remember her again, and things would go back to normal; everyone would remember her, they'd hang out with the others again…and he'd finally tell his true feelings about her. He knew that she felt the same way about him, and when they would get back, they'd finally, truly be together again.

Or so he hoped.

*_Maybe she's here…nope, maybe there…_* Roxas was about to take a turn around a corner when a familiar voice spoke to him.

"She ran away without telling you again, did she?"

Roxas spun around and saw the same redheaded man from yesterday. He was leaning on the wall with his arms crossed and didn't face Roxas.

Roxas jumped to conclusions. "What did you do to her?" he approached the redhead angrily, but he just vanished in a haze of darkness and reappeared behind Roxas.

"Nothing." The redhead said simply. "But I _do_ have an idea of where she might be. I can tell you…_if_ you're willing to remember."

"Remember?" Roxas repeated. "Remember what?"

"Organization XIII. _Your past_. You don't remember that?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Roxas said, wanting to turn around and leave. But somehow, something inside of him told him to stay and listen to the man. And, funnily enough, Organization XIII sounded familiar…

The man sighed and muttered, "We're gonna have to start from the beginning…."

He turned his green eyes into Roxas' blue ones and asked a question that shattered all his hopes for a normal life back at Twilight Town and made him remember everything about his past.

"Do you remember Sora?"

* * *

~Author's Note

Wow, this rewrite is super long compared to the original Xp I actually like this one wayyy better, though the only problem is that the linebreaks I used to use aren't working here for some reason...Xp

As for my previous readers, I'm sure you can tell there is a huge difference the plotline of this chapter and the original. That's because I'm redoing the _whole_ thing and I'm gonna go a little bit more by the game's plotline Xp There probably are going to be some things from the original in here, but all in all, the basics changed. :D I hope you like this better than the original! And, thanks to everyone who helped me and gave me some support as I wrote this, I love you guys~! xD

Anyways, I hoped that you _all_ enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this! ^.^

_Aaaand, question time_:

Were there any parts you liked or disliked? What do you think is Reina's connection to Axel? To Sora? Would love to know~!

~narcotic-lullaby


	2. Destiny

"Roxas!"

Reina took back her assumption as soon as she made it; the brown-haired, blue eyed teen in front of her wasn't Roxas, no matter how much he resembled her best friend.

"Who?" The boy spun around and then pointed confusedly at himself. "Me?"

Reina turned bright red and she shook her head. "I'm sorry; I thought you were my friend." She was turning to leave, but caught the brunette's companions. She'd never seen the short duck and the gentle looking dog that accompanied him anywhere.

"Are you guys new here?" she asked curiously.

"Erm…" the brunette shot quick glances to his friends before nodding and pointing to himself. "Yeah, I'm Sora, this is Donald," he pointed to the duck, "and this is Goofy," he beckoned to the tall dog, who smiled and said, "Nice to meet you."

"Same here." Reina grudgingly smiled, trying to hasten this process so she could go back to searching for Roxas. "I'm Reina."

She opened her mouth so she could give a polite goodbye, but Sora looked extremely excited when he asked, "Have you seen a guy named Riku anywhere?"

"Or King Mickey?" Donald chimed in.

Riku? _King_ Mickey? Reina wondered from how far away these guys were from.

"No, sorry." She said. When they all looked disappointed, Reina felt sympathetic and added, "But if I see them, I'll let them know that you're looking for 'em."

"Thanks." Sora smiled. Reina smiled back, hiding the shock that jolted her. This guy looked just like the one from her dream! And then there was that guy in black from yesterday…

*_Coincidence. Just a really weird coincidence.* _She told herself strongly, though a weird feeling in her gut said otherwise. Smiling hesitantly again, she left them and became immersed in thought. With a half conscious idea of her surroundings, Reina almost tripped over something she hadn't noticed.

She looked down and excitement flooded through her as she picked up a skateboard. *_This is Roxas' skateboard! It's proof that he was here! He shouldn't be very far then, I wonder-*_

"Uh, excuse me, miss?"

Reina felt a pull on her dress and she looked down and saw the small kid from yesterday. "Can I have my skateboard back? Please?" he said, pointing.

"Oh…I'm sorry." Reina reluctantly handed back the skateboard, tasting bitter disappointment and even slight anger. That skateboard was _Roxas', _and it was the only thing she had left of him…and now she didn't even have that anymore.

It was like she lost him for good.

*_How did this happen?_* DiZ was completely puzzled as he stared at the diagram and data of a spiky-haired boy. *_Just righty-seven percent and yet he still woke up…but, that still means that Roxas hasn't merged with him yet…_*

But how? He set up everything so perfectly; it was a fail proof plan. Did Namine have to do something with it? That couldn't be; he oversaw her trying to erase the girl's memories of Roxas…but then what?

*_No matter…_* he thought, feeling a little bit more relaxed. *_As long as no one keeps strong memories he will fade, and Sora will gain his own memories back._*

His assurance, however, was blinding him from the possibility of a betrayal…and this very reason will change the destinies of all connected to it.

The sun was setting and Reina gave up the hope of finding Roxas. Sullenly, she head back to the Usual Spot and found her friends in an excited huddle, talking excited about something. With a sigh, she sat down and when her friends took notice of her, their babble instantly died down. They all looked nervously at each other and at Reina.

"What?" Reina asked, putting a little more venom in the question than she meant; she was still mad at them for forgetting Roxas.

"Uh…nothing…" Hayner muttered, slightly offended at Reina's tone and Olette was the first to change the intense atmosphere.

"Hey, you know the weirdest thing happened today?" she said.

"What?"

"There was this guy in black…" Hayner started.

"Uh-huh…" Reina sat up straighter, alerted by this news.

"And he had huge, round ears!" Pence added, making circular motions with his hands.

"And he said he was looking for _you_!"

Reina got up. "Me?"

"Yeah, he seemed really serious about it too!" Olette nodded.

"Is that the Roxas guy you were talking about earlier?" Hayner asked. Roxas and huge, round ears? No way.

Reina shook her head. "It's not…but if that guy's looking for me, better go see what he wants, right?"

Before her friends could say anything, Reina left and asked around for a person that was in black and had big round ears. Unfortunately, nobody noticed someone in black with huge ears so Reina was on her own to find this person. A small bubble of hope formed in her; she hoped this person would have some idea of where Roxas could be. She soon wandered over to the Train Station, and the small bubble was engulfed by stronger emotions of fear and shock.

*_This can't be happening…_*

Right in the middle of the plaza was a sea of the same monsters _from her dream_. In the middle of the chaos, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were fending off the creatures with some kind of weapons out. She quickly turned around to try and get some help but she was met by one of the fiends, inching closer to her.

She stood frozen in fear, not knowing what to do. The monster came closer and lunged. Reina shut her eyes and crossed her arms over herself, expecting a painful blow, but she never received it. Something cold was in her hands, and she slowly opened her eyes.

*_This has __got__ to be some kinda dream!_ *

She held a large, silver key-like weapon with a black hilt that had a design of a spiraled heart around it. She saw an outline of the top-half of a heart at the end of the blade, sharp an perfect for attack.

'_It'll come to you when you need it_' The words were whispered to her in her mind but Reina quickly pushed them back when she saw the monsters attacking Sora, Donald, and Goofy. She narrowed her eyes and gripped the weapon in her right hand, holding it in front of her just as if she was in a Struggle match.

*_Right…just another Struggle match…no biggie, I can do it!_*

She tried to keep the confident spirit in her high but no sooner than she stepped in to help the fighting trio, a fiend lunged at her. She quickly blocked the attack and hit the creature, sending it several feet backwards. Then as if to take revenge, three others took its place, their yellow eyes leering at Reina. She scanned them with her eyes and then let her experience guide her. Even she was surprised at how fluidly she was able to take a wide slash at the two of the creatures and still be able to dodge an attack from the third one.

It was as if she'd done this before.

"Won't they give up?" Reina shouted in frustration; it was several minutes already and the monsters showed no sign of stopping.

"It's no use!" Sora shouted back. "There's too many of them!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the three collapse one by one, until she was the only one left to fight the monsters. They looked thoroughly exhausted and Reina stepped in front of them, bracing herself for the onslaught of monsters that would meet her.

Then, out of the blue, another dark figure appeared though this one also had a key-shaped weapon and sported large round ears. As the figure finished off most of the creatures with amazing skill, Reina heard Donald and Goofy behind her exclaim, "King Mickey!"

"Shhh…" Mickey whispered, placing a finger to his lips when all the monsters were finished. "You gotta board the train and leave town! The train knows the way."

The king thrust a small orange pouch into Sora's hand. He turned and met Reina's briefly and then addressed the other three. "Take Reina with you."

Sora, Donald and Goofy looked just as shocked Reina did by the king's orders.

"You can't—" she started by Mickey cut her off and looked straight in her eyes.

An odd look clouded his eyes as he said, "You'd want to go. You might find what you're looking for."

Reina shut her mouth in surprise. How did _he_ know that she was looking for someone? So many questions popped in her head but Mickey left, only muttering "good luck" before he disappeared.

Completely confused, she turned to the trio. "Anyone wanna explain?"

"We're as lost as you are." Sora admitted.

Reina sighed, overwhelmed with thoughts. "So, where's this train going to anyways?"

"Probably to another world." Donald replied.

"Another…_world_?"

"Yeah, there are many others out there. We've been to a bunch o' them." Goofy said proudly.

"So, there are more worlds out there like this…" It took a second for that to sink in. She'd never thought there would be anything beyond Twilight Town, or even the coast…but, maybe somewhere in the middle of it, Roxas was there. She made up her mind instantly and knew that she wanted to go with these three.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"It's _King Mickey_ to you!" Donald said with an edge of annoyance.

"Last time we saw him and Riku…they were stuck in the Realm of Darkness, right?" Sora asked, facing his friends. Realm of Darkness? Was that another world?

"And we just saw him here, so that must mean…"

"Riku's here too!" Donald concluded cheerily for Sora.

On the other hand, Goofy added, "He could also be in another world…"

"Maybe." Sora said, looking into the distance for a second. Then, he grinned and faced everyone. "Well, I'm gonna look for Riku. Then he and I can go back to the islands together. What are you guys gonna do?"

Both Goofy and Donald looked at him as if he asked the most obvious question in the world. "Gawsh, Sora, do ya really hafta ask?" Goofy said.

In reply, Sora burst laughing. "What's so funny?" Donald demanded.

"Your faces!" he laughed. Reina couldn't help but smile at Sora's face. *_He looks so much like Roxas…_*

"And you?" Donald looked at Reina.

"Huh? Oh, I'm searching for someone too." She said with a nod.

"Great! So what do ya say, guys? Let's stick for one more journey!" Sora said.

"And with Reina, it'll be so much more fun!" Goofy smiled, gathering everyone into a huge hug. Reina laughed while Sora and Donald struggled out of Goofy's grip.

"All for one and one for all!" Donald added, placing his hand out. Goofy placed his hand on top of Donald's and Sora followed suit. They all looked at Reina encouragingly and Reina, feeling accepted, placed her hand in and completed the circle.

"To…!" Sora started energetically but his face fell and he scratched his head. "Where, again?"

"We have to board that train." Reina pointed out.

"Oh, right."

Donald sighed and rolled his eyes, making Reina and Goofy chuckle.

"But…how long is this gonna take?" Reina asked, feeling uneasy about leaving her home so suddenly, and without notice.

Sora scratched his cheek, thinking. "A…while, probably."

"Can I just go pack some things?" Reina asked, feeling a little bad that she was holding them up. Still, she just couldn't leave without being prepared.

"Okay." Goofy said kindly and Reina sped straight to her apartment, rushed upstairs and threw everything she could fit into a backpack. Extra clothes, a first aid kit, even a set of puzzles was stuffed inside a bursting backpack. She zipped the bag with great difficulty and then slid down the stair rail, setting one foot outside. But as she locked the door, she realized that she was going to be gone for who knows how long without telling her family or friends.

She couldn't just write a note; what would she say? '_Hey mom and dad, I'm just gonna be gone for a while with three strangers for someone you don't even remember! See ya!'_

*_Olette_* She was the only one Reina could turn to, and she knew Olette would support her—no matter how crazy she sounded. With that in mind, she went straight to the Usual Spot, and was surprised to find Sora, Donald, and Goofy there.

"_There_ you are!" Donald said accusingly.

"Sorry!" Reina said. "I'm ready now, though."

"You know these guys?" Hayner said incredulously.

"Uh…" Reina wasn't able to answer Hayner's question when Pence brought up a new one.

"What's with that bag?"

Reina felt all eyes turn to her and she looked down. "I'm gonna be going away for a while."

"What? _Why_?" Her friends cried in unison."

"It's for something really important…I've got to go."

Her friends saw the plead in her eyes and understood that nothing they were going to saw was going to change her mind.

Olette sighed heavily. "How long are you going to be gone?"

"A while…" she said, thinking about what Sora said. "A week, maybe?"

Sora shifted his gaze uneasily to his friends.

"That's too long!" Pence complained.

"I know, but that's why I need you guys to cover for me. Please? Mom and dad are gonna be _so_ mad at me when I get back…" Reina said with a frown, just imagining her adoptive parents' faces when she returned. But, she couldn't just let the opportunity of finding her best friend slip away…

"Don't worry, we've got your back!" Hayner smiled and the others nodded.

"But, you better hurry up and come back soon, okay?" Olette said worry clear in her eyes.

"Yeah, we can't do that summer assignment without you, ya know!" Pence joked. Reina smiled and pulled them all into a great hug.

"You guys are the best!"

"We know." Hayner said cockily, making them laugh as they broke from the hug. Reina turned to Sora, Donald, and Goofy with a heavy feeling in her heart.

"Let's go."

"You better take care of her." Hayner said threateningly to Sora and Pence nodded fiercely.

"We're counting on you!" Olette said to the trio.

"Don't worry she's safe with us!" Goofy said with a reassuring smile. Reina felt a great rush of warmth for the trio; she barely knew them and yet they were treating her as if she was a long lost friend.

The train whistled loudly, signaling them to board now. Reina pulled her friends into one, last hug before climbing aboard a peculiar train with a wizard hat along with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. The door closed automatically behind them, marking the start of journey. Reina smiled and waved at her friends from the window until all she could see was the outskirts of Twilight Town.

*_I'm going to find you, Roxas._*

_A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory...  
...A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream.  
I want to line the pieces up...  
-Yours and mine._

A train chugged loudly opposite two figures that were hidden by the darkness of the Train Station's tunnel. The taller, older redhead looked at the blue eyed blond beside him.

"There you go. Sora's living proof that you're a –"

"I know." Roxas said sadly, staring at the distancing train. *_A nobody…_* The blond thought, looking at the ceiling. He'd known it as soon as he heard the name, but didn't want to accept it; living a happy life with his friends in Twilight Town was the perfect image before that very name shattered it all: _Sora_.

Even as he remembered everything Axel told him—his friendship with the redhead, his past, and his allegiance with the Organization—he wished it weren't true. He wished that he could take Reina as far away from Sora as possible and pretend this whole mess didn't happen. He wished he had his own heart. He _wished_.

*_She's going to find out eventually…Axel said she was going to remember everything..._* And when she did, he hoped that that she'd accept him—just like she had before.

* * *

Okie! I have no explanation for the lateness of this chappy xp Sorrryyyyy!

I hoped you guys liked this better than the orginal, and tell me what you guys think about it! :D (I'm kinda rushing thorugh this so sorry for some typos or mistakes xp)

~narcotic-lullaby


	3. Smile

"Which world is this train taking us?"

Reina sat opposite Goofy and Sora, who munched on snacks she packed while she in turn pressed them with never ending questions. Donald, along with a kind cricket named Jiminy, sat at a distance from them, counting the munny that was left in the orange pouch King Mickey gave them.

"Dunno, must be somewhere important if King Mickey's sending us there." said Goofy, before taking another taking another bursting handful of chips. Based on the brief background story Sora and Goofy told her, it was no surprise to Reina to see them so ravenous; going to different worlds and then taking out all the Heartless that were there must've been hard work.

"Well…how does Mickey know I'm looking for someone anyways?"

"_King _Mickey." Donald corrected form the other side of the car, still absorbed in counting munny as Jiminy started scribbling in his miniscule journal.

"Guess that's something you hafta ask the King yerself." Goofy said.

"Who are you looking for anyways?" Sora asked with his mouth half-full.

"My best friend." Reina told them, an automatic smile on her face. "I've known him since childhood."

"Good thing we're on the same train, then. I'm searching for my best friend too." Sora smiled. "We'll find our friends together!"

"I sure hope so…" Reina said, looking out of the window opposite her. *_I want to find him as soon as possible…_*

The oranges and pinks that used to paint Twilight Town's sky seemed to be fading now, and stars were popping into view.

*_I'm going to another __world__._* She thought in amazement, still not being able to believe it. She wondered which one Roxas would be in and how many she'd have to go to find him when a familiar flash of blue light caught her attention. Reina quickly turned to see where it came from and saw Donald grinning suspiciously. He had something clasped in his hands and when he took a peek inside them, greed was evident in his eyes. Before she could ask anything, the train finally halted to a stop.

"Finally!" Sora said, getting up to stretch. He was the first to get off the train, so when Reina took her bag and attempted to get off too, he lent out his hand to help her. She, however, was too mesmerized by the huge tower in view to notice and got off the train with ease. Sora flushed and instead scratched his head to cover up.

"Were you guys here before?" Reina asked, turning around. It seemed like a tiny island in the sky; there was nothing on it except for the huge tower and the small amount of landscape surrounding it.

"Nope, I don't remember it…" Goofy said, scratching his head. Behind them, Donald quacked loudly out of shock. To Reina's amazement, as soon as the duck out off, the train vanished on the spot.

"Heh…there goes our ride…" Sora chuckled nervously.

"How are we gonna get back?" Reina asked, alarmed. Before anyone could respond, Goofy placed a finger on his lips and pointed towards the castle.

"Someone's already here." He whispered and Reina spotted the large, rotund cat he was talking about. He had large, pointy ears and seemed to be wearing a suit of armor.

Curiously, Sora went up to him and asked, "What's going on?"

He just chuckled and didn't even look back at who asked him the question. "I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this tower's as big and as tough as they say. Word is he's a real powerful sorcerer, which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See, it don't matter how tough he is - once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!"

"Heartless?" Donald exclaimed. Reina dropped her bag when her weapon appeared in her hand again and looked at the trio in confusion. They all had their own weapons and were in fighting stances, and Reina mimicked them.

"That's right. They're the things that come outta the darkness in folks' hearts," he explained, still not looking behind him, "Why, with all those heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything!"

The guys relaxed and Reina gave them a questioning look. Sora told her with a satisfied smile, "We," he drew his finger across his neck, "her."

Sora frowned and said, "In a way…" which just increased Reina's uneasiness. Before he could explain, the fat cat yelled loudly.

"Whaa—? It's you!"

"_Pete_?" Donald and Goofy shouted in unison. It seemed that they were as shocked as he was.

"You _know_ him?" Sora asked.

"We sure do! Pete's been causing trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped…" Goofy explained thoughtfully.

"Pete started laughing."You wanna know, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now your world - no, no, no, **all** words - are gonna belong to yours truly..." he did a mock bow, "'Cause Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em!" he ended a satisfied smile.

"Maleficent, huh?" Sora smirked as Goofy and Donald snickered.

""What are you laughin' at? Why, Maleficent's power is _so_ great that—" Pete started but Sora cut him off

"She's toast." He snickered.

"Whaddya mean?" Pete yelled, outraged. Then, realization hit his face as he exclaimed, "You! So _you're_ the ones who did it!" he waved an accusing finger at the three.

Sora grinned and wrapped his arms behind his head. "Well, we _mighta _had something to do with it."

Pete shook with anger and shouted, "Just you wait! Nobody—and I mean _nobody_— messes with the mighty Pete!"

"So, _mighty_ Pete," Sora mocked, "who lives in this tower anyway?"

"Oh ya don't know, eh? Well it's old Yen Sid. 'Course, he's probably a heartless by now!" he replied haughtily. Donald and Goofy both made sounds of astonishment.

"Yen Sid is the King's teacher!" Goofy explained at Sora's and Reina's confused faces. The duck and dog immediately ran inside.

"Wow, sounds powerful!"Sora exclaimed, and Reina nodded. They both followed Goofy, leaving poor Pete alone with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

But as soon as they went inside, they were met by Heartless already fighting with Goofy and Donald. The small creatures saw Sora and Reina enter the room and several others immediately appeared, creeping towards them.

Reina gripped her weapon in her right hand tightly and used all the Struggle techniques she could think of against the Heartless. Each time one was defeated and burst into a haze of darkness, a small, sparkling heart was released. The process went on until the last Heartless was cleared, though the trio was less than happy at the victory.

"Heartless, Heartless, Heartless! Things haven't changed one bit!" Donald stomped on the floor angrily.

"Good thing we're on the job, then." Goofy said in a would-be positive voice, but he looked disappointed too.

"So, the worlds aren't at peace after all…" Sora muttered sadly, staring at the floor.

"Well…" Reina started shyly and they looked up at her. She knew she probably won't be able to relate to the hard work the three put in, but she wanted to keep a positive outlook in this group.

"I don't think you guys should lose hope now." She said. "We're so close to meeting Yen Sid and I bet he'll be able to tell you why the Heartless are still popping up. I mean, look at him! He's the King's teacher! If he can't tell us, no one can. And…and maybe he'll be able to help us find our friends…"

Sora smiled and turned to Goofy and Donald. "She's right, guys. We can't give up now!"

"Right, then let's move." Donald said, leading everyone several flights of stairs. Though there were several encounters with Heartless, and though Reina kept feeling dizzy whenever she looked down, they all managed to reach a door with a golden star on it in one piece.

Donald and Goofy rushed inside the door quickly while Sora and Reina took their time, looking around the large but crowded room. It was filled with various, dusty books with notes and bookmarks sticking out of them. Their eyes finally stopped at ancient man with a long white beard with a pointy blue hat with matching blue robes.

"Master Yen Sid! It's an honor!"Goofy and Donald said in unison as they bowed. Reina looked at them confusedly and ended it copying them.

"Hey there!" Sora waved.

"Sora! Show some respect!" Donald hissed, shooting him a quick glare. Sora grinned awkwardly, and Yen Sid acknowledged everyone.

"So you are Sora. You must be Reina. I've heard a lot about you two." He said, turning his eyes to the teens and then addressing everybody. "Now, then. Have you seen the King yet?"

"Yes, but we haven't got a chance to talk to him yet." Donald replied.

"The King has quite been busy of late….Therefore, it seems the task of instructing you four falls upon my shoulders. You have a perilous journey ahead of you and you must be well prepared."

"You mean…we're gonna have to go on another quest? I was looking forward to finding Riku…" Sora said, looking crestfallen. Reina had a mixed reaction at this statement: excitement to be traveling all sorts of worlds, and fear to be encountering Heartless, just how the others described their previous journey.

"I know it must be troubling, Sora, but everything in this journey is connected. Whether or not you and Reina will return to your worlds with your friends or whether the worlds are going to be there at all rests on both your shoulders."

Before Reina could question, Sora asked, "But, wait a sec. I thought we closed the door to Kingdom Hearts. How come the Heartless are still running around, then?"

"It's true that in your previous journey, you encountered many Heartless and defeated those who controlled them to take over Kingdom Hearts. The Heartless may be weaker now, but they are darkness made real and darkness still yet lingers in every heart. It will be a difficult task to eliminate them all." Yen Sid answered.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all let out a big sigh, and Reina didn't like the sound of it at all.

"But...does that mean I have to go on this quest with them too?" Reina asked Yen Sid, dreading the answer.

He nodded. "What you have with you is important to the success of their quest."

"Wha…" Before she could ask what she had that was so important, the answer appeared in her hands, in a flash of light. She held up the key-like weapon, staring at her reflection in it.

"The Heartseeker." Yen Sid said, also looking at the weapon. "It chooses the ones with the purest heart as its own, and only if the predecessor chooses to relinquish it."

"So does that mean she's like one of the Seven Princesses?" Goofy asked.

"Precisely. Paired with the Heartseeker, Reina can harness the very power of Kingdom Hearts." Then, his face darkened. "This is exactly why the Nobodies and Heartless would want to use her."

"What are Nobodies?" Reina asked, fearing that they would be even more dangerous than the Heartless.

"When a heart is consumed by darkness, it separates from the darkness and becomes something known as Heartless. A Heartless has no reason, and attacks humans to steal their soul," Yen Sid explained as he waved a hand and a hologram of a Shadow Heartless appeared.

"Meanwhile, when a human - evil or good - with a strong heart becomes a Heartless, the shell left behind develops a will and acts on its own. They are called Nobodies and they don't truly exist at all," Yen Sid explained as he summoned white-suited creatures that moved like they were dancing. "On your journey, there will be an alarming amount of Nobodies with frightening and unique powers that will intend to harm you all. Still, they're nothing but empty vessels destined to return to darkness. Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but they only pretend to have hearts."

*_That's so sad…they don't have any feelings…* _Reina thought, pitying the dancing, white creature.

"There are some among them that possess intellect and look like humans. They've formed an alliance and control the lesser Nobodies. They call themselves Organization XIII." Yen Sid went on. He waved a hand and a figure all too familiar to Reina wearing a long black robe with the hood on.

"Hey! I've seen him before!" Reina exclaimed.

"Where?" Yen Sid asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"At Twilight Town, before my friend disappeared." Reina's eyes widened as she realized something. "Maybe they're the ones who took Roxas…"

"You must be careful, Reina." Yen Sid warned. "I am certain Organization XIII has powers that we don't know, which just makes it easier for them to try and capture your heart. A source tells me that you are the key to their plan. Never let your guard down!"

"Well, at least we know they can control lesser Nobodies." Donald pointed out.

"Like how Ansem controlled the Heartless!" Goofy recalled.

"Correct. While Heartless use their instinct for action, Nobodies function in a higher manner. They can think and plan and these particular Nobodies seem to be working towards a goal. I am not sure what they're planning, but the King has sensed a severe crisis and he's searching every corner of every world to reveal their objective." Yen Sid concluded.

"So that's why the King said he can't go with us yet…" Goofy said, obviously worrying about him.

"Well, at least you've got _us_ now! We'll make sure those Organization guys don't near any heart!" Sora stuck out his chest importantly and flashed a cocky grin.

"Yeah! You can count on us!" Donald and Goofy joined in, and Yen Sid smiled.

"But, before you leave…" Yen Sid turned a door in the room which Reina hadn't noticed before. "Flora! Fauna! Merryweather!"

Suddenly, three blurs of color burst from the door and ushered the Sora and Reina into a circular room. The door shut, and the three fairies stood smiling in front of them.

"What's going on?" Reina asked.

"We're going to make you some new clothes, dear. You can't go traveling all of the worlds with just _normal_ clothes!" Flora, the one in pink, replied and with a wave of her wand, two measuring tapes appeared.

"Stand still!" The fair in blue, Merryweather, commanded. The teens did as told and Fauna, the fairy in green, took notes of the measurements. After it was done, Merryweather quickly stepped up and waved her wand.

"Done!" She said proudly. Reina looked at her clothes and jumped. They were all blue!

Fauna shook her head in disagreement. "No, no, that won't do!" She waved her wand and turned the clothes green. Everyone looked at each other uncertainly.

"How dare you!" Merryweather yelled. She waved her wand, and the clothes became blue again. It went on like this for a few moments and it was dizzying for Reina to see her clothes turn from blue to green to blue and back again.

"Can't you guys decide already?" Sora asked impatiently. The fairies looked surprised, and looked at each other in a silent agreement.

"We can't be squabbling now!" Flora said. The other two fairies looked at each other and nodded. "All together now!" Flora said, and the three waved their wands at once. There was a flash of sparkling light and when it subsided, Reina looked into the mirror and gasped.

Her full outfit changed magically from a simple dress and flats to a pale blue and green sleeveless kimono-like top that had the material crossing over her shoulders to connect to a hood, which covered her slightly bare back and black shorts. The top was secured by two buckled straps on the side and was very comfortable. Fingerless gloves with the same heart emblem that appeared on the Heartseeker covered her hands, and so did a variety of arm bands and an armor-like shoulder guard on her right arm. She had ankle sneakers and black thigh high stockings with a pack on her left leg.

*_Olette's gonna be __**so**__ jealous_* Reina thought smugly, looking happily at her new outfit. Sora had on the same style of baggy pants and jacket as before, but with different colors and different shoes and he too looked pleased with the new outfit.

"Those aren't ordinary garments." Fauna told them. "They have very special powers."

Before the two could ask what powers were, Flora waved her wand at Sora. "Take the orb, dear." He did as told, and another flash of light appeared.

"Woah!" The brunette had _two_ Keyblades and wore a red outfit, though it was the same style as his previous one. Reina looked at him in awe.

"This journey is going to be twice as difficult as your last one." Merryweather told him and Sora sunk into a deep, defeated sigh. It would take forever to find Riku and get back to islands…

Flora waved her wand again and another orb appeared in front of Reina. The teenager took the orb and another flash of light appeared in the room. It cleared and revealed her in full armor, complete with a helmet which she could see out of. It was silver and black, and it encased her outline perfectly, though it felt more like a metal shell to her.

"It's so heavy!" Reina said, raising an arm with some difficulty. She summoned the Heartseeker and tried to lunge at the air, but she lost her balance. Sora, as an instinct, tried to catch her, but the armor was so heavy that he fell too. They both cracked up laughing, and their magical outfits disappeared in another flash of shimmering light.

"Your garments also have other powers but you will have to discover what they are on your journey." Flora told them with a slight chuckle.

Sora and Reina looked at each other and smiled. "Okay, we'll do our best." Sora said.

"Thank you very much!" Reina added with a grin.

"Oh!" Flora exclaimed. "There's something waiting for you outside from Master Yen Sid." Muttering excited goodbyes to the fairies and Yen Sid, the two rushed outside to see what the surprise was.

"The Gummi Ship!" Sora shouted happily at the sight of an orange airship, designed like a rocket. As he raced towards it, Reina stayed behind, staring at the spot Pete was and frowned. She wondered what actually happened to Maleficent…the trio looked way too innocent to actually be able to _kill_ someone. She sure hoped so; they were the only people she could trust to get Roxas back to Twilight Town.

"What's wrong?"

Reina jumped and saw Sora looking at her peculiarly. She shook her head. "Nothing." She followed Donald and Goofy towards the Gummi Ship, but before she could set her foot onto the steps to climb onto it, Sora blocked her way with a mischievous smile.

"Stop! You can't get on!" He said, sticking out his palm in halting motion.

Reina looked him, surprised. "Why?"

"This ship runs on happy faces!" he grinned, remembering when Donald and Goofy told him the same thing in Traverse Town. "Without one, you can't enter!"

"Oh _wow_." Reina rolled her eyes, but a slight smile danced on her lips.

"What's wrong?" Sora repeated, looking a little more serious. Reina smiled slightly at his thoughtfulness, but faded when she spoke.

"Well, remember what you said about Maleficent? Did you actually…?" Reina trailed off.

"Oh, _that_." Sora said with a smile, realizing how new Reina was to this. "Well, we did." Seeing Reina's expression he continued hastily, "But she was someone who controlled Heartless. If she went on, worlds would've been taken over by Heartless."

At that, Reina felt a little more at ease, though she hoped that she would never have to encounter something like that in this journey. Just the thought of it made her blood run cold. Setting those thoughts aside, she gave him a huge smile and he returned it with one of his own.

"That's more like it!" He stepped aside and waved his hand courteously at the entrance. "Welcome aboard!"

Reina laughed and entered the ship, with Sora at her side. She was surprised to how small it was inside; it had a small room that served as a living room with a kitchen attached to it opposite of the entrance and a hallway on the right side of the room. There was only a sofa and a dining table to adorn the room's white walls and tile floor. The hallway had four doors on either side of it, and had a bigger door at the end of it.

"There's my room, Donald's room, Goofy's room, the Front…" he frowned.

"What happened?"

"There's no room for you."

"It's okay, I'll just sleep on the sofa." Reina waved off.

Sora shook his head. "You'll get cold. You can take my room, if –"

"No, it's alright, really!" Reina insisted, turning slightly red. She didn't want to be a burden on them, especially after they had to take her in on such short notice. Before Sora could argue, she turned to the door leading to the Front. She opened it, and outpoured a huge number of colorful buttons and blinking devices in every direction. There was a huge glass dome, giving a 360 degree view of whatever was going on outside. Three seats occupied the room, with Donald and Goofy occupying two of them. They seemed to be absorbed in conversation concerning a blank radar on the side wall, and before she knew it, Sora joined in.

Feeling too tired to ask what was going on, Reina just slipped back into the main room and flopped onto her back on the sofa. So much happened in just a short amount of time…she lost her best friend, fought Heartless, left her home world for the first time, and met a whole bunch of strangers (not to mention a _king_). Just thinking about all that made feel ever more tired so before she knew it, she drifted off into sleep.

* * *

A figure clothed in black crouched behind a bush in Twilight Town's forest, feeling thoroughly disgruntled. He set his blue eyes to the sky and thought, *_How come __I'm__ the one stuck with this stupid job?_*

The Organization XIII member was supposed to wait for a certain redhead to pop up, on Number VII's command. He sighed heavily and drew his finger into the ground, drawing a tower in the dirt when he finally heard two voices.

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

That voice…it reminded him of someone…

"For the millionth time, _yes_. If you ask me one more time, I swear I'll burn your hair off." The other voice said, annoyed.

Definitely Axel.

"Jeez, just asking. How long will it take?"

Axel just sighed while the other person kept asking him questions. The voices seemed to be coming closer and the blond did his best to hide himself in the forest's greenery. Then, he saw the two figures in plain view and widened his eyes.

*_Roxas!_*

Without thinking, he jumped from the hiding spot and faced the startled Axel and Roxas.

"I- I can't believe you!" he said, pointing an accusing finger at the shorter blond, who still wore a shocked countenance. "You traitor!"

* * *

**Eesh, I'm so sorry for the lateness of this chapter…again ;A; School's really killing me, and I hateeee it **

**I'm kinda sorry about this chapter xp It's kinda rushed (at least to me) and I couldn't string all my thoughts together because homework kept getting in the way -_-" I wonder if there are any spelling mistakes…gahhh too lazy to check -_-"**

**Anywayyy I hoped you liked this chapter and I would love some ideas, feedback, comments! :D **

**p.s Anyone else having trouble with the line breaks? :/**


	4. Rise and Shine!

**Recap:** The mysterious train Reina took with the trio to Yen Sid's tower, to Donald's and Goofy's amazement. After a messy meeting with Pete and minor squabbles with Heartless, the four learn about Nobodies, Reina's Heartseeker, and a new quest. Meanwhile, Demyx finds out that Axel's been hanging out with a "traitor": Roxas.

* * *

"A-and you!" Demyx moved his accusing finger from Roxas to Axel. "How come you're with him?"

Axel looked at Roxas and said, "You don't understand."

"What d'you mean?" Demyx asked, crossing his arms.

"It's about Reina." Roxas said quietly, and Demyx put on an expression of shock. He had not heard about the girl for a long time and he sure had missed her—she was like a little sister to him.

"What about her?"

Roxas and Axel glanced at each other. The blond took a deep breath. "I need to bring back her memories of us…"

* * *

"Get up…" Donald called impatiently to Reina, curled up like a ball and too busy dreaming about mounds of sea salt ice cream to hear him. Goofy was making breakfast while Sora was taking care of things in the Front.

"Get up…!" Donald grumbled a little more loudly. Still no response. Donald rolled his eyes and started prodding her.

"Get up get up get up GET UP! OW!" Donald was smacked sideways onto the floor by Reina's flying palm.

"Who's poking me?" She mumbled, expecting to see Hayner when she opened her eyes. Her eyes opened to their fullest when she realized she wasn't in the Usual Spot, but in the Gummi Ship. She looked shocked and turned red when she saw a dazed Donald on the floor and immediately got off to help him.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you!" Reina exclaimed. The angry duck sat up and glared at her, and Reina stared back with fear. Donald jumped up furiously with his wand out, and that was Reina's cue to run for safety.

"I'm gonna get you!" He stormed after the teen, who ran in circles around the sofa repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Goofy was finished with making breakfast and Sora entered the room curiously.

"What's goin—whoa!" Sora was pushed aside by Donald in his furious chase. Before the duck could get away, Sora grabbed Donald by the collar and Reina took shelter behind Goofy.

"Please don't zap me!" She pleaded, remembering the way how the wizard took care of Heartless with bolts of lightning.

Sora smiled and looked at the duck. "Why'd ya have to be such a hot head?"

"She hit me!" Donald quacked loudly.

"It was accident! I'm sorry!" Reina insisted.

Before Donald could say anything, Goofy cut in. "Uh, the food's getting cold." He said in an attempt to divert Donald's anger.

The royal wizard's mood seemed to lighten tenfold. He turned to Reina with an expression on feigned anger. "Fine, I forgive you." He said and took a seat at the small dining table.

*_So that's all it took…?*_ Reina thought. *_Food?_* She relaxed and let out a breath of relieved air.

"You didn't have to be scared of him." Goofy said with a kind smile.

"Yeah, Donald's all quack and no bite." Sora added, and the three laughed.

"Oh, you should get ready fast." Goofy told Reina. "We're gonna be landin' soon."

"Okay!" Reina was bubbling with excitement. *_I'm gonna find him …!*_

By the time she was back, the room was empty. *_Maybe they're at the Front._* She thought looking at the shut door at the end of hallway. Her stomach rumbled. *_I'll just get something to eat first.*_

The kitchen was spot clean and there was only a tasty looking sandwich left on the counter. Reina's stomach rumbled and mouth watered, and as she picked up the sandwich and raised it to her lips…

"BOO!"

She shrieked and dropped the sandwich in freight. Next to her, Sora laughed at her while pointing.

"What the heck, Sora!" She yelled, whacking him on the arm. He sobered, but amusement was still all over his face.

"Sorry, I was bored." He smirked. "Besides, your expression was _priceless._"

Reina rolled her eyes and hit him again, her stomach grumbling a little more loudly.

"You know what?"

"Hm?" She mumbled, not looking away from the refrigerator.

He stepped to the side where she could see him. "I'm gonna _make_ you breakfast. That way, we'll be even."

Reina looked up hopefully. "Really?"

"Yep! Just step back and let Chef Sora work magic!" he smiled enthusiastically and Reina couldn't help laughing.

"Okay, _Chef Sora_, just hurry up. I'm hungry." She said with a smile and left the kitchen with Sora and the open refrigerator. The brunette poked his head around the fridge and drawers and took out ingredients for an omelet. Or rather, _his_ type of omelet.

"Okay, how does Goofy do it…?" He lighted up the stove, warmed the pan, and going by the small tidbits he's seen his friend making omelets, poured, sprinkled and stirred his ingredients in a bowl before pouring the concoction onto the pan. It sizzled and soon warmed enough to what Sora deemed good enough, and what others called a little burned.

Cheerfully, he headed to the Front, where Reina was chatting with Chip and Dale enthusiastically. Her face fell slightly at the breakfast as Sora happily offered it to her. "Here ya go! One omelet!"

"Uh…thanks…" Reina said, taking the plate of…food. He looked at her expectantly, waiting to hear how it tasted. She reluctantly took out a tiny piece and chewed quickly.

"How was it?" he asked and Reina, unable to say anything, just smiled and nodded. Sora swung around and faced Donald and Goofy triumphantly.

"See? My cooking isn't _that_ bad!"

Donald snorted and didn't even look up from the radar and Goofy kept avoiding asteroids swiftly. Sora joined them and Reina looked back her "omelet". Chip and Dale looked at her sympathetically.

"Sora's cooking is _never_ good." Dale told her. Chip hopped off of the chair Reina and said, "Let's get you something you can eat."

After preparing and eating a decent breakfast, Goofy's voice rang out from the intercom. "Hang on!" he yelled, and the ship lurched violently, throwing Reina back.

"Ow…what happened?" she asked, rubbing her head.

"We've landed!" Dale said happily and the two followed Chip to the Front. Reina gasped in amazement as a tall, run down castle loomed at them from the glass dome.

"Where are we?" Reina asked eagerly.

"Hollow Bastion." Goofy answered, getting up to stretch. "It's been a while since we've been here, huh guys?"

"Yeah, sure brings back memories." Donald said reminiscently. Sora stared at the old castle, memories flooding over him. So much had happened here…

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Reina asked excitedly, bouncing on her feet. Her voice broke everyone out of their reverie.

"Let's go!"

* * *

Everything—from the cobblestone paths all the way to the tip of the old castle—fascinated Reina. It was amazing to her to see a world so different from her own. Everything seemed new and strong, since it all looked like it was built out of stone.

"Gawrsh, everything looks so different now…and it's only been a year!" Goofy looked around, scratching his head. Donald and Sora murmured in agreement, surprised at the way Hollow Bastion rebuilt itself after it had been in Maleficent's control.

"Sure doesn't feel like a year." Sora said, putting his hands behind his head. Shops lined the street, reminding Reina of Market Street in Twilight Town. She wanted to stay and take her time looking around at all the shops, but Sora beckoned her to stay with them. They eventually reached a remote area when a white circle slid across the floor and beeped, making Donald jump in surprise.

"What's the big idea?" He screamed to the contraption as it rose to a cylinder and sank down back into the ground, beeping away.

"That's a claymore. It's the town's defense mechanism." A female voice told them all. The four spun around and saw a short, spunky teen with short black hair and shining brown eyes smiling down at them from the top of a building.

"Yuffie!" Sora shouted, smiling at her. She waved and jumped down in front of the group.

"I see you three are in top form." She nodded to the trio and turned to Reina.

"Oh, I see Sora's got himself a _girl_." Yuffie winked while elbowing Reina. The said teens glanced at each other and laughed awkwardly.

"He's not my—"

"We're just—"

They both spoke at the same time, and tried again.

"She's not my—"

"We're just—"

Yuffie laughed as the two became flustered. "I'm kidding! What's your name?"

"Reina." She said, happy that the awkward moment passed.

"Nice to meet you, Reina!" she said brightly, then turned to the trio. "The others are looking forward to see you guys again."

"We may never see each other again, but we'll never forget each other…" Sora said in a deep voice, touching his forehead.

"Is that supposed to be Leon?" Yuffie chuckled.

Sora grinned while Donald and Goofy laughed. Then, looking as if he remembered something, the brunette asked, "Yuffie, have you seen Riku or the King anywhere?"

"Or a blond guy, about this tall, named Roxas?" Reina said, gesturing.

"Nope, sorry guys." Yuffie replied, shaking her head. "But, I _can_ show you where everyone else is. Follow me!"

* * *

"Alright…I get what you're trying to do, but how…?" Demyx asked, still at in the forest at Twilight Town. "Aren't her memories messed up? So, it'll be hard to get her to remember us…and, if she remembers everything…"

Roxas looked at Axel, slightly alarmed, but the redhead responded calmly. "That's why we're here."

"_Here?_" Demyx asked incredulously, pointing a finger to the ground.

Axel nodded his head and kept walking on the trail he and Roxas were on. Demyx glanced ahead at the two in front of him and followed silently until a huge, old mansion came into view.

"Here."

* * *

"Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!" Yuffie introduced brightly, walking into a room with a huge computer and books stacked neatly onto one side. Three people smiled at the trio as they walked in.

"We missed you!" the young woman smiled and her kind green eyes traveled to Reina. "Hello, there."

"Hi. I'm Reina." She said, smiling.

"I'm Aerith." The young woman replied, and shook Reina's hand warmly. She soon found out that the older blonde man was Cid and the blue eyed young man with the scar was named Leon.

"How did you meet these three anyways?" Yuffie asked.

Reina glanced at them and said, "It's a long story…"

With the help of the other three, Reina briefly explained how she originally was searching for her friend, of how the King told her to go with them, and how Yen Sid explained that the Heartseeker was important to the trio's quest.

"Wait, _you're_ the Heartseeker Guardian?" Yuffie burst out. Reina nodded and summoned the key-like weapon as the four looked on in amazement.

"No wonder the King told you to go with them…" Aerith said.

"Only the top get that….you must have something special kid." Cid told her.

"Heartless and Nobodies would probably try to do anything to get a hold of you…be on you guard." Leon warned.

"Yeah, 'specially with the mess Hollow Bastion's in right now." Yuffie said, slightly depressed.

"You mean like Heartless and Nobodies?" Donald asked and the four nodded.

"Sounds like you could use our help." Sora grinned, obviously up a mission.

"Then let's cut to the chase." Leon said. "We're hoping you four could give us a hand here."

"Like we're gonna say no." Sora grinned, hitting his chest with his fist.

*_I could…_* Reina said, a little taken aback by the idea of encountering more Heartless. She shook her head. *_There's nothing to be scared of! You've taken some out already, it can't be any harder than before…_*

"Hm," Leon grunted amusedly. "I forgot who I'm dealing with." He turned and headed out the door saying, "Follow me to the bailey, there's something you need to see."

Before the four could follow, there was a loud _pop_ and smoke.

"Oh, I thought it was you! Right on time!" said the ancient looking man that stepped out of the smoke. He had a long white beard and blue robes with a matching hat.

"It's Merlin!" Goofy exclaimed, and they rushed up to meet the wizard. The wizard turned to Reina. "Ah, so you must be Reina! Nice to meet you."

The teen smiled back, wondering how he knew her name and Yuffie said excitedly, "Sora and the gang said they're gonna help out!"

"Splendid! We can count on you." Merlin said approvingly. He looked at Aerith and asked, "Did you give them the cards, dear?"

"Oh!" The brunette responded, searching around. She finally found three pink and purple cards and handed them to Sora when Reina finally remembered something.

"We're supposed to be at the bailey with Leon!" she exclaimed. Along with Donald and Goofy, she headed outside wondering where Leon went.

"Guys, wait up!" Sora called from behind them. "You forgot these." He said, handing each of the cards to Donald and Goofy. On them were a big castle and the words, '_Hollow Bastion Honorary Committee Member:_' and the member's respective names.

"Ohhhh, lucky." Reina said a little wistfully, looking at the cards.

"Thanks, only the _best_ get them." Sora said in a satisfied tone, amused at Reina's reaction.

"Well, _I _don't need a card telling I'm the best." She said a little bitterly.

"Oh really?" He said, pulling out another pink and purple card. "Then I guess you won't need this." He waved the card in front of her, and she recognized her name on it. When she reached to take it, Sora pulled it away from her.

"I thought you didn't need a card." Sora smirked.

"Yeah, well…I changed my mind!" She said, reaching for it again and failing.

"Try and get it then!" he said, joking around by always pulling back the card whenever it was in her reach. It was only when Donald and Reina sent enough annoyed glares when Goofy grabbed the card.

"Here ya go." He said kindly and Reina smiled warmly at him. She waved the card in front of Sora and said, "Ha! Now what!"

The brunette smiled and shook his head. Soon enough, the four finally reached the balcony where Leon was waiting for them, looking out into the horizon. He glanced at them and pointed down to what Reina thought at first was a burnt down portion of the castle. Then she saw it was _moving._

There was an ocean of Heartless and Nobodies squirming about the gorge that was in front of the castle. A shiver went up Reina's spine and she saw that the other three were all wearing the same horrified expression. A sinking feeling formed in her stomach as she assumed what help Leon wanted them to do.

"We're trying to make Hallow Bastion the way it used to be…no, an even better world it used to be." Leon corrected himself. "There's still a lot of work to do but I'm sure we can handle everything, except for this."

There was a pause, and Reina's fears were confirmed. "I hate to ask this, but…I want you to help us get rid of them."

"We'll handle them!" Sora said in a heartbeat. The other three looked at him as if he'd turned bright purple and looking at their expressions he added, "C'mon guys! We've fought so many Heartless before so this can't be any worse!"

They seriously doubted that.

"Do you guys know anything about these?" Leon gestured to the never ending fiends.

"There's this guy, Pete, who's going around plotting with the Heartless. But he's not smart enough to tie his own shoes. The ones you need to worry about are the Nobodies." Sora told him, pointing to the white suited creatures.

"And Organization XIII." Reina added. "They're the ones who control the Nobodies."

"You called?" a dark voice came out of nowhere and Reina groaned as the Heartseeker appeared in her hands. *_I was hoping I wouldn't need you…_* she thought, looking at the blade.

"He's even got the girl with him…this calls for a celebration." A second, more amused voice rang out and Nobodies started appearing out of thin air, making everyone scatter.

"It's a trap!" Goofy exclaimed as a gate separated Reina, Donald, and Goofy from Leon and Sora.

Reina's palm sweated as she gripped the Heartseeker and scanned the Nobodies. Two spotted her and loomed closer. She got into her battle stance and thought, *_Okay…you can do this!_* She took the first swing but the Nobodies dodged the blow. Taking advantage of her second of vulnerability, they struck her and she fell on the ground. Thinking quickly, she turned from the ground, swinging the Heartseeker. The Nobodies staggered, giving time for Reina to get up quickly and take another swing.

*_Why does this all feel familiar?_* she wondered, now easily dodging the Nobodies swipes and lunges as if she'd done it a hundred times before. In time, they felt more like a mediocre Struggle team rather than the vicious monsters Reina imagined them to be, but they did wear her out.

"Thunder!" A bolt of lightning finished off one of the Nobodies, giving Reina time to finish off the other. The last white suited creature finally vanished and the three regrouped, looking as tired as ever.

"The Keyblade…Heartseeker…truly marvelous weapons…" the voice said again, and the gate lifted, rejoining everyone again. Leon was limping and collapsed by the time he reached the others. Sora, realizing where the voices came from, went with Goofy and Reina outside while Donald treated Leon with Cure spells.

"Organization XIII!" Reina gasped. Several people clothed in hooded black robes appeared on a ledge not far off from where the two were standing.

"Good! Now we can settle this!" Sora glared fiercely at the team, who responded with mocking laughter.

"What a shame…and here I thought we could be friends." One of them said, before they disappeared in a haze of darkness.

Their laughter rang in Sora's ears. "Stop!" he yelled as they ran to where they seemed to be before they were stopped short by one of the members appearing right before them.

"Move!" Sora shouted, taking out his Keyblade.

"Do you think it's polite, shutting me down like that?" he said, shaking his head.

"What've you done with Roxas?" Reina asked fiercely and the man turned to her. "Where is he?"

"Ah, still looking out for your friends, are you?" he said loftily. "You never change, do you…"

"Where is he?" she repeated through gritted teeth.

"Nuh-uh! That's not you speak to your elders…" the man said, shaking his finger. "Why don't I _remind_ you two how tough the crowd you're dealing with is?"

Reina and Sora glanced at each other, completely confused. "Remind us?" Sora asked, pointing a finger to himself.

"That's right!" the man laughed. "_He_ used to give me that same look."

"Who…?"

"You should ask Reina." He nodded his head to her. "She'd know."

"You think you could psych us out by saying crazy stuff, huh?" Reina shouted, though at the back of her head she knew _exactly_ who he was talking about…

"Gee…I just don't know." He said sarcastically. "Be good you two!" he waved and disappeared into a haze of darkness.

"Wait!" Reina shouted, but it was too late. The man was nowhere to be seen.

"That was weird…_who_ gave him the same look?" Sora wondered aloud.

"And how does he know me?" she added, staring at the spot where he disappeared. Right then, Leon and Donald appeared, and Leon looked much better than last time.

"Y'know, I just think he was trying to mess with your minds." Goofy said positively. Sora smiled, though Reina still had a lingering doubt in her heart.

"You, you're right!" Sora said, eagerly pulling out his membership card. "There's only one me, the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee member—"

Suddenly, the Heartseeker glowed and it felt as if a magnet were pulling it towards the card which levitated out of Sora's hand and into the air. A tiny beam of light connected the card and the tip of the Heartseeker.

"What's going on…?" Reina asked, surprised. The card vanished and was replaced by a Keyhole created by light and a crown pattern formed under Sora. The Keyblade vibrated and Sora knew exactly what to do. He pointed the blade to the Keyhole and a beam of connected those two and vanished only when there was a loud, locking sound.

"Oh! This must be the connection Master Yen Sid was talking about!" Goofy exclaimed.

"The Heartseeker finds Keyholes and the Keyblade locks them?" Donald asked.

"How come? I was able to lock Keyholes before." Sora noted.

"Well, that's because we had the heart of one of the princess with us all the time." Goofy said with a knowing smile and it took Sora a while to realize what Goofy was talking about.

Reina was about to ask who it was when a loud engine muffled her voice. The Gummi Ship was landing not far off, ready to take them all to a new world.

"Sorry to run Leon, other worlds are waiting!" Sora smiled.

"Organization XIII. Sounds tough. Be careful out there, okay?" Leon warned and Sora nodded.

"See you soon!" the teen waved alongside the others as they got on.

Reina went straight to her sofa and flopped on, staring at the ceiling. *_That was an Organization member…he knew me…the other guy at Twilight Town knew me and he was dressed like an Organization member…do they really know me?_*

Reina started biting her nails, a bad habit that she always did when she was tense. *_Maybe Goofy's right, maybe they really are just trying to mess with my mind…but then why the heck do I still feel they're telling the truth? Do they really know me…and Roxas…_*

Reina felt as if she sank even deeper into the hole, thoroughly disappointed that she hadn't found her best friend in this world. If he wasn't here, where was he? Was he at the next world, or several worlds away? How long would it take?

She turned over, the questions still plaguing her mind. She was finally lulled to sleep thinking that when she'll find Roxas, soon, they would go back to Twilight Town and everything would go back to normal.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

Author's Note~

Helloooooo again! No, I am _not _dead, I was just going through so much shizz with me moving the place I've lived in since my childhood and leaving all my friends ;A; It took a while to get over…but! I'm all back up and running and I hope to get those next chappies out soon~ ^^ Hope you liked this one, and make sure to tell me what you think about it! :D

~narcotic_lullaby

P.S Thank you to all those who supported me so far! You know who you are :D


	5. Feeling Safe

**Recap:** During their visit to Hollow Bastion, the four encountered Organization XII, learned of Hollow Bastion's messy problem with Heartless and Nobodies, and learned that Reina's Heartseeker is necessary for locking Keyholes. Meanwhile, Demyx is on the plan to bring back Reina's memories with Roxas and Axel.

* * *

As Roxas, Axel, and Demyx entered a white room, complete with white chairs and tables. Sunlight from the walls length windows illuminated several drawings about various things all over the walls. Busy sketching at one of the tables was a young blond haired, blue eyed girl, another Nobody. She looked up as they arrived, and her eyes flashed alarmingly to Demyx.

"Don't worry, he's in on the plan." Axel waved off. Namine nodded and stood up.

"Are you _sure_ you're willing to take the risk?" Namine asked the redhead, who rolled his eyes. "If, by accident, all her memories…"

"For the millionth time, _yes_, Namine." Axel replied exasperatedly while Demyx still looked a little unsure.

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Roxas said impatiently.

Namine nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's start."

* * *

"Wow…what is this place?" Sora asked aloud, looking around at the new world they've landed at. The sky was dark and gloomy, matching the large castle looming at them. Made of gray stones and leering gargoyles, it definitely matched the ominous feeling of the world. Reluctantly, Reina followed the three into the castle, her heart beating a little faster than usual. Unlike Hollow Bastion, this world made her want to get out as soon as possible. She jumped a little when the huge doors closed with a loud thud when Sora closed them.

The entrance hallway was dimly lit and lined with more scary statues, making her feel like she was being watched and it only intensified her fear.

"This place is huge!" Donald exclaimed, looking around.

"Sorta gloomy, dontcha think?" Goofy said.

"Gloomy is an understatement." Reina muttered, staying close to them.

"I wonder who lives here?" Sora asked, and he was immediately answered by a loud roar that echoed through the castle.

"Hey does anybody recognize that?" Goofy said brightly.

"R-_recognize_?" Reina repeated, shocked.

"Yeah..." Sora thought and then his face lit up. "Hey, that's Beast!"

A second, louder roar echoed through the castle, making a chill shiver up through Reina's spine. "That's him!" Donald confirmed.

"Maybe we should go check on him!" Goofy suggested, obviously not seeing Reina's fear. The three started walking, and Reina said, "You guys go…I'll just wait here by the Gummi Ship…"

"Are you _scared_?" Sora teased.

"I'm not!" Reina said indignantly. "I just thought…someone should guard the Gummi Ship!" she finished lamely.

"Look!" Donald pointed behind Reina and she jumped, turning around with the Heartseeker. The three snickered.

"Don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to you." Sora assured her.

Hesitantly, she took a few steps forward and followed them closely. It was only a matter of a few steps when Reina found trouble.

"Look!" she pointed to a small Heartless that crept into a room off on the side of the hall. They ran into the room, and searched for the remaining Heartless, but the room was empty. It was a cozy room with large armchairs and ancient paintings on the walls. Warmth emitted from the strong fireplace, making the room feel much more inviting than the hallway.

"Ohhh…" Donald's eyes became fixated on a glowing rose inside a protective glass case. Reina turned to it too, amazed at how the rose was upright and gave an otherworldly glow. As soon as Donald reached out to touch it, Heartless cropped up.

"Found it!" Donald shouted, getting into a battle stance.

Reina raised the Heartseeker, more confident in her fighting skills after dealing with the Nobodies in Hollow Bastion and the fact that the Heartless were small in size, though a little overwhelming in number. Reina instinctively dodged the creature's slashes in front of her, taking advantage of their slow recovery time to shower them with a volley of attacks. Though, no matter how many they destroyed, there always seemed to be more.

"_Somebody help us!_" Donald yelled in frustration.

On cue, a huge…_beast _stormed his way in the room. He had curved horns and sharp teeth that were perfect for ripping things apart. There was a sense of anger and darkness over his eyes as he took out the Heartless with ease, sending them in every direction with each swing of his massive arms.

Reina couldn't see any reason why Sora and the others looked relieved at the sight of him and stayed back, though Sora smiled to let her know he was a friend.

"Just in time!" Sora said, raising his hand as if expecting a high five. Before he knew it, Beast knocked him into the wall just as he had the Heartless.

"Sora!" Reina cried, rushing to him. He was a shocked and dazed, but otherwise alright. He wore a confused, hurt frown as he stared at the angry Beast. Donald and Goofy were too surprised at the incident to react, and before they knew it, Beast pushed them away as well.

"Hey!" Reina shouted, glaring at Beast. It was like a blazing fire was lit inside her, and she didn't seem to care that he just took out a room full of Heartless in seconds and that he could hurt her just as easily. There was just no wayhe could push away her friends like that _and_ get away with it! But as she started to march over to him, but Sora quickly grabbed her hand and mouthed, "_Don't!_"

She glared back at Beast, who held the glass dome as if it were his life. With it, he walked away from the room as if nothing happened.

"Why'd he have to do that?" Donald stamped his foot angrily, rubbing his face.

"Gee, do ya think he mighta forgot who we are?" Goofy asked aloud, staring at the door along with the others. It was obvious the Beast guy didn't usually act like this, but that didn't change Reina's feelings about him.

"With this many Heartless around, _something_ must be up." Sora reasoned and they all agreed.

"Let's go check it out then. He's your friend, after all." Reina said half-heartedly, though knowing them, they'd go even if she hadn't suggested it.

"I hope he'll be okay…" Goofy said, staring at the door.

Reina looked around the room, which was a little disheveled after the encounter with Heartless. But, there was a strange aura going around the room, and even the whole castle which made her a little uneasy.

"Hey, c'mon." Sora said, beckoning Reina out of the Parlor Room.

"This place is weird." She shivered.

"Yeah, I know." Sora agreed, looking around.

"…Are ya sure, Donald?" Goofy asked uncertainly to the short duck.

"I'm sure!" Donald insisted.

"What's going on?" Reina asked them.

"I saw a lady at the top of the stairs!" Donald exclaimed, pointing to the grand staircase.

"Hey!" Sora said, as if a light bulb flashed over his head. "If Beast is here then maybe Belle is too!"

"Right! That lady musta been Belle. It's been a while since we've seen of the princesses." Goofy added brightly.

"Wow…a princess, here?" Reina said excitedly and they all nodded.

"And Belle might know what happened to Beast!" Donald said excitedly.

"Let's go!" Reina smiled, feeling cheered for the first time since coming to this world. The group headed to where Donald indicated, and walked through a long hallway through the East Wing. They stopped when they heard someone through one of the doors.

It was a woman's voice, and she was sobbing. "Oh, what am I going to do?"

*_Is that her?_* Reina thought. She sounded sad. The group circled the door, with Donald standing right in front of it. Sora pointed at the door and Donald, who took the signal the wrong way, muttered, "Okay" and barged in through the door. The door opened to reveal a pretty young woman, with brown doe-like eyes and long brown hair tied into a low ponytail. She was wearing a simple blue and white dress and a surprised expression on her kind face.

"Hey, who opened the door?" Donald grumbled.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're here!" she exclaimed delightedly, picking up Donald and hugging him tightly. "Donald!" she smiled as she hugged the struggling duck.

"Sora! Goofy!" her eyes brightened at the sight of them.

"-Put me down! Put me **down**!" Donald's cries finally reached Belle's ears and she set him down with a smile on her face.

"Hiya!" Sora greeted as Goofy waved warmly. Reina introduced herself to Belle and found her to be as kind as she looked.

"Hey…where's Beast?" Sora asked, looking around. Belle's expression turned into one of sadness as she sighed, "Oh, he must be in the West Wing…we don't talk like we used to."

Belle seemed depressed at the thought of him, and it was obvious she really cared for Beast.

"Did…something happen?" Reina asked sympathetically.

"Yes. He's been acting very strange lately, and the only ones who know what happened are locked in the Dungeon. I want to help them, but…" Belle trailed off sadly, thinking about what might happen if the Beast caught her sneaking around the castle again. He was always worked up about her looking around the castle.

"Wait a second. Who locked _who_ up?" Sora asked, confused.

"Beast locked up his servants. I don't know why, though." Belle said sadly.

"Don't worry, Belle! We'll find out where the servants are!" Goofy offered cheerily.

"Yeah, and we might even find out why the Beast's acting so strange lately." Donald added, as Reina and Sora nodded in agreement. A smile broke out on Belle's face.

"Thank you, you guys!" she beamed, "You can get to the Undercroft from the West Hall. The Dungeon is down there."

"You can count on us!" Reina smiled, showing her a thumbs up. She turned to follow her friends out of the room.

"Be careful!" Belle called before they all left.

"Don't worry, we can handle ourselves." Sora smiled cockily before turning to leave.

* * *

"There should be a way around here…" Sora muttered, looking around. They all were searching for an entrance into the Undercroft in the West Hall. There weren't any doors in sight.

"Hey, there might be a hidden door somewhere." Donald suggested, "Let's split up and look around."

"Good idea."

They all split up into different parts of the hallway when something caught Reina's eye. A wardrobe was unusually placed in the middle of the hallway.

*_What's that doing here?_* She thought, moving closer to it. "Hey, guys! I think I've found something!" she shouted.

They examined the door, and Sora pushed it aside, revealing a hidden door.

"Here it is!" Sora said triumphantly.

"Do you _mind_?" the…the _wardrobe_ shouted, leaving everyone frozen in shock. An angry face appeared on it as it went back to hide the doorway.

"What're we gonna do _now_?" Goofy whispered, presenting the problem.

"How 'bout me and Goofy push this, and Reina and Donald let us know if it starts waking up." Sora suggested in a low voice and they all silently agreed with nods. Sora and Goofy started pushing the wardrobe, and in no time, the door was exposed enough to let everyone through. Suddenly, the wardrobe woke up again, now more irritated than ever.

"Just when I was getting comfortable too," she muttered as she glared. "May I _help_ you?"

"Erm…Belle sent us to rescue prisoners from the dungeon." Sora said meekly, not wanting to meet the wardrobe's harsh glare. To Reina's surprise, the wardrobe's expression turned from cranky to happy and delighted.

"Oh you're here to help my friends? Why didn't you say so!" the four looked at each other nervously, not knowing what to say. The wardrobe went on, "I used to be human until an enchantress used her spell. I was turned into a wardrobe and the prince was turned to a beast."

"The **prince** is _Beast_?" Donald cried in shock.

"**Beast** is a _prince_?" Goofy gawked in equal surprise.

"Do you know more about the spell?" Reina pressed, hoping to get some more information.

"Well…" she whispered in a serious voice, "It was a cold winter's night…"

"Uh-huh…." She muttered, giving the wardrobe her full attention. The others also hung to every word she was saying, interested in the story…which the wardrobe decided not to finish.

"And that's enough for now. You'll hear the rest after you've found my friends. It'll give you something to look forward to." She said with satisfaction, as if this was some kind of revenge for waking her up.

"Let's go." Sora sighed; he was really hoping to listen to that story. It's not often you get to listen to talking furniture.

The four walked through the green door, wondering what was on the other side. The room was dark and gloomy; it had random things around it, like tables, chairs, and other junk. What prevented everyone from going further was a huge, funny looking stone door that was shut tight.

"This must be it…" Sora said, crossing his arms. Donald approached the door and put his ear to it, trying to hear what's on the other side. He jumped back in surprise when the door started glowing with darkness. The funny patterns on the door changed into real Heartless, bigger and stronger than any Reina saw so far.

She took a huge breath of air as she summoned the Heartseeker, trying to calm herself but the big beady eyes of the Thresholder Heartless didn't help. She joined the others and quickly understood what they were trying to do: confuse the Heartless so it would be easier to attack it. Donald's spells and Sora, Goofy, and Reina's physical attacks worked fine against it until the Heartless started wearing down. Midway through the battle, it complicated things when it called for several Shadow Heartless to appear.

"You and Goofy get those; we'll handle this one until then." Sora shouted and Reina and Goofy nodded. The Shadow Heartless were easy enough since Reina already had gotten used to them. The real challenge was trying not to get close to the bigger Heartless since the room was too small to battle so many Heartless at once.

Reina was fighting the last two Heartless at once, when Sora cried, "Look out!"

She turned in time and dodged a swing by the bigger Heartless, and the two Shadow Heartless slammed into the wall, becoming wisps of darkness. Reina gulped, looking at a tiny dent the force of the blow caused. Then, an idea struck her and she touched the piece of armor on her shoulder. A film of light enveloped around her body, revealing armor when it cleared.

*_Wow, this thing is heavy…_" she thought. There was a slight difficulty moving around, and funnily enough, she _felt_ weaker after she summoned the armor. Her movements slackened, and it took much more time to dodge attacks and deal them. She began to regret putting the armor on and summoned it off, though the weak feeling didn't leave her. Reina was too dazed from using the armor to realize the Heartless was finished.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sora asked concernedly, looking at the state she was in. Reina nodded. "I think I'm gonna be alright."

"Magic takes up a lot of energy if you're doing it for the first time." Donald told her wisely as they trudged on into the dungeon. Reina looked at him a little confused so he elaborated.

"That thing with the armor you just did." He said, pointing to her shoulder. "It takes practice to get used to magic like that, so you should practice on smaller stuff first."

"Hm, like what?"

"Simple spells like—" Donald cast a faint bolt of lightning behind him. "Or—" He created a small burst of fire.

"So, once I do those, I won't feel weak when I'm summoning the armor?" Reina asked.

"Once you learn them and _get good_ at them. That was a big piece of magic, and it's going to be even harder since you're the only one who can do it." Donald said.

*_And that thing is heavy too…I'm gonna have to do something to get used to that too…_* She looked up excitedly. "Will you help me with magic then?"

There was a proud little smile when Donald crossed his arms and nodded. "No problem."

"Thank you!" She said, giving the duck a tight squeeze, much to his displeasure. "Wait…so this means I'm forgiven for hitting you before, right?"

"Hmph!" he mumbled as he managed to break free.

"I'm taking that as a yes." Reina grinned and the wizard ignored her.

They finally reached a dark dead end, with no prisoners in sight.

"There's nobody here." Sora echoed into the empty room. Oddly enough, there was a teapot, a candle holder, a teacup and an old-looking clock sitting on chairs, as if _they_ were the prisoners.

"So, there's no one to rescue?" Donald asked, annoyed. All that work for nothing!

"Did someone say rescue?" a voice asked out loud. Everyone looked at each other, surprised at where the voice came from.

"Shhh! It might be _them_. You'll blow our cover!" a second, worried voice spoke. Where was all this coming from?

The four craned their necks for the source of the sound as a female voice spoke, "Oh, they look nice enough."

"We are nice!" Goofy assured whoever was speaking, "We're your friends."

"Yeah, Belle sent us to find you. Where are you guys?" Sora asked. Everyone looked around, hoping the prisoners would reveal themselves.

"Right in front of you, _monsieur_." The first voice said, now in a recognizable French accent.

Reina was stunned once again to see the teapot, the candle holder, the clock and the tea cup all jump to life and approach everyone. They all had interested, smiling expressions on their surfaces as they introduced themselves—the teapot was appropriately named Ms. Potts and her son, the teacup was named Chip. The candle holder's name was Lumiere and the clock's name was Cogsworth. In turn, Sora introduced his group to them.

Donald, who was thoroughly fascinated with the rescued prisoners, grabbed the clock and shook him interestedly.

"D-don't touch! I'm self-winding, sir!" Cogsworth cried, as if he lost all his dignity. Donald set him down as Cogworth sent him an evil glare, dusting himself off.

*_Geez, we're getting on a lotta furniture's nerves_* Reina thought.

"I'm glad you're okay," Sora said, crouching down to Lumiere.

"It is we who are overjoyed to see _you_!" Lumiere said with a smile.

"Did someone put a spell on you guys too?" Goofy asked, looking at the animate pieces of furniture as if he still couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yes, that's right!" Cogsworth said, his face brightening up, "You've heard!"

"It seems so long ago…" Lumiere trailed off, crossing his arms.

"It was a cold winter's night…" Ms. Potts started and everyone was instantly hooked to her words, hanging on to every syllable, hoping to finish the story.

"An old beggar came to the castle and asked for shelter." said, and Cogsworth opened his mouth to continue.

"But the master of this castle, that is of course, the Prince..." Cogsworth tried, but Donald opened the glass body, which really ticked Cogsworth off. Again. Cogsworth slapped Donald's hand away, with a harsh glare. "Stop that! Put me down this instant!"

Donald obeyed and set him down on a chair. Cogworth cleared his throat and continued, "But the Prince turned her away, all because of…_ahem_ her meager appearance."

"He was a spoiled prince," Lumiere continued, "He was selfish and, how shall I say it…cruel…"

"The old woman warned out master not to be deceived by her appearance. Yet, he still didn't take her in." Cogsworth said, with a hint of regret in his voice.

"Then, the old woman's ugliness melted away, revealing a beautiful enchantress," Ms. Potts finished, clearly remembering that day, "She turned the Prince into a beast, a shape she thought fitting for his cold heart. And to further punish him, everyone in the castle was enchanted too."

"That's horrible…" Reina said, frowning.

"Maybe, if we found the enchantress—" Sora started brightly, but Lumiere shook his head.

"There's no point in trying, we already know what needs to happen for the spell to break…" Lumiere said, with a thoughtful expression. Then, he shook out of it and stated seriously, "We're worried about our master; we think he's becoming a Heartless!"

"Heartless!" The four cried in unison.

"Well, good thing we're here, then. We'll help you guys." Goofy managed, when they recovered from the shock.

"Follow me, then." Lumiere started waddling towards the exit, "I know a shortcut."

The candle holder led everyone out to where the same place the Thresholder Heartless was and jumped up on boxes to reach a balcony overhead. Lumiere looked at the suits of armor blocking the door and cleared his throat.

"Make way for our guests!" He commanded and the armor moved aside. Reina's eyes widened in wonder; this castle never failed to amaze her. They all were ushered into a silent room with many boxes strewn about.

"All we have to do now is go through the secret passageway. However, there's one little problem." Lumiere said and he turned to Cogsworth to explain.

"Oh, yes, there's a contraption that is holding us back. Observe." He said, and, using what it looked like his whole strength, he jumped and pulled down a switch. With a slow old creak, a chain dropped, attached to a lantern that was lit by black, enchanted flames.

"If we could light all the lanterns in the secret passageway, the door would open." Mrs. Potts said.

"But as you can see, the flames are already burning with an enchanted flame. We need to think of some way to get rid of them." Lumiere explained.

"What if I use my Keyblade?" Sora suggested, as he raised the Keyblade towards the lantern.

"It's worth a shot." Chip said hopefully. Sora approached the lantern and a beam of light emitted from the tip of the Keyblade and went into contact with the enchanted flame. The darkness around the flame died and Ms. Potts watered what was left of the flame and Lumiere lighted a new, blazing fire.

"Hey, it worked!" Reina said happily.

"But we must hurry" Lumiere stated, looking at Cogsworth, still dangling from the switch, "You can't expect him hold on forever."

"Hey! What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Cogsworth shouted.

"Well, then you'd better hurry." said Goofy.

"Go Sora!" Reina cheered. He turned and gave her a goofy smile before turning to get rid of the other flames. She sat down on one of the boxes, and train of thought made her disappointed that once again she hadn't found who she started this journey on in the first place.

*_He definitely would've liked this place…_* Reina thought with a faint smile. Then, she shook her head as the smile dropped into a sad frown. *_I need to stop missing him so much. It's only gonna make this harder..._*

"Hey, Reina!" Goofy called her, breaking her out of her thoughts. All of the lanterns were re-lighted and the way was finally open.

"Uh, sure, I'll be right there." She warbled out, trying to put on a smile. Sora raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing as Lumiere started talking.

"We shall be going back to our duties, my friends. I'm afraid we've been away too long, and I want to make sure everything's running perfectly. Thank you all very much for all of your help." Lumiere thanked as he, Cogsworth, Ms. Potts and Chip bowed down to Sora' group.

"And I will accompany you to master's room." Cogsworth said, beckoning to a dark tunnel that was the way out. Reina stared hesitantly into it. Her first impression of Beast wasn't good, and she wasn't completely sure he'd be over his mood swing by now. She reluctantly followed her friends into it and upon reaching the end, heard a voice unlike Beast's.

"It's time you dealt with Belle…" a slow, deep voice told Beast as he stared at his precious rose that was laid on a stone table. The rose gave off a dim, red glow that was pulsating steadily, giving off light into the dimly lit room. The only other person in the room was a tall figure, covered in a black cloak that was the uniform of his order.

"She's scheming to take everything you have." The Nobody continued, assured that he would be able to consume Beast into anger and darkness. It was only a matter of time until he'll be able to control Beast's Nobody.

"This castle, your precious rose and then—your _life_." The cloaked man said, "Trust no one! Feed your anger—only anger will keep you strong." He turned to Beast for his response.

The Beast raised his head slowly and sadly and muttered, "I've had enough of strength. There's only one thing I want—"

"What? To love and be loved in return?" the Nobody finished for him mockingly. To trigger Beast's anger he added, "Who could _ever_ love a beast?"

Beast roared in anger, confusion and humiliation. At that same moment, Sora and the others entered the room, and the cloaked man took one long look at everyone before muttering, "See? She has accomplices."

Reina's heart dropped a little; it didn't sound like the guy from Hallow Bastion and she wanted to ask him questions. Then, her heart dropped even more as she caught the Beast's furious look. The Nobody disappeared in a dark smoke leaving Beast in total rage as he turned to the group.

"Hey Prince!" Sora greeted with a hopeful smile but the group was met by a vicious roar, which made everyone freeze with terror.

"Oh my!" Cogsworth exclaimed, seeing his master act like this for the first time. Beast growled loudly and that growl turned into a second roar, and Reina took out the Heartseeker. Beast hurled himself at everyone and the group broke up, avoiding his attack.

"Please master! Please!" Cogsworth shouted repeatedly, trying to get to Beast, "Please wake up!" The battle went on like that, with everyone trying to avoid or block Beast's attacks while Cogsworth tried to bring him back to his senses. Soon, the darkness evaporated from around him and his eyes were cleared of anger, replaced with sadness. He came back to reality and he clutched his head as if he had a headache.

"Cogsworth…what happened?" he rasped.

"Well, master…ah, you see…" Cogsworth fidgeted nervously, "that is…How should I say this…ah, actually…mmmm…"

"Well, you put everybody down there in that dungeon!" Donald finished for poor Cogsworth.

"Ah…you did!" Cogsworth finally managed out.

"I did?" the Beast said, looking defeated and sad. At that moment, Reina didn't feel scared of him anymore; she pitied him.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" She asked.

The Beast growled angrily and she flinched a little. "Xaldin!" then he calmed down and grumbled, "That's his name…he came from the darkness. He used my anger to control me!" He slumped, looking sad once again and muttered, "He took all my sorrows, my sadness, my pain—and turned it all into rage! There was nothing I could do; I could no longer see the truth."

"Well I'll be!" Goofy exclaimed, pounding his fist into his hand, "That must be why you threw all your friends down there into the dungeon. You wanted to make sure that ya didn't hurt 'em, right?"

"Was that it?" Beast wondered aloud, "Was it to protect them?"

"Sure, we all know you're good inside." Donald nodded.

"He's right Master!" Cogsworth agreed "We've all seen how kind you can be. After all, Belle can see the goodness in your heart, but I'm afraid you've yet to—"

"Belle!" the Beast cut off, as if he suddenly remembered her. Then, he slouched again, and sighed, "I've mistreated her... I've mistreated her and been so selfish."

"She didn't say anything about that." Sora said.

"She'd never tell anyone about my cruelty…she's too good." The Beast trailed off, no doubt thinking about Belle. Reina's heart softened at the way Beast said it, and she was completely sure that the two liked each other.

"You see, I'm afraid he judges himself _far_ too harshly," Cogsworth whispered.

"Cogsworth's right. Why dontcha just go and talk to her?" Reina asked, hoping he would agree.

"But…"

"No excuses! C'mon, we'll go with you." Reina added, and Beast considered and finally agreed. Everyone headed out the room and Reina and Sora fell behind the pack.

"I thought you were scared of him." Sora said with a smirk.

"Me? Well, he's not bad once you get to know him." Reina replied.

"What about the first time you met him?" Sora went on.

"Yeah, I was _really_ scared then." She looked into his shining blue eyes quizzically. "Why?"

"Nothing..." A pause. "You almost took him on after he slammed me though."

"Oh, yeah." Reina said, remembering. "He hurt you guys, and I couldn't just stand there. I _had_ to do something about it." She remembered the way how a fire lit inside her when Beast hurt her friends.

"Even though you knew he could take finish you in two seconds?"

"Yeah, but— Hey!" She turned to him. "I don't need you for _every_thing you know! I can take things on my own!"

"Uh, right." He said sarcastically, making her hit him playfully on the arm. "Anyways…thanks."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"You went up against him, even though you were scared, just for us." He smiled. "So, thanks for having my back."

"Uh…no problem." She replied, not expecting what he said. After a moment's silence, she looked back up at him and said, "Well, we're friends, remember? All for one and one for all! I'll have your back no matter what."

"And so will I. We won't have to be scared of anything then." Sora said with another warm smile.

"Thanks." She said, returning the kind smile. Then, it widened into a grin when she went on. "Well, there is _one_ thing to be scared of."

"What?"

"Your cooking." She laughed at Sora's indignant expression.

"It's not that bad, you know!" He insisted. His expression changed seeing her laughing one and he couldn't help but smile too. They finally caught up with the rest of the group and the previous fear Reina had of the castle evaporated as she looked at Sora and her friends. She knew that he'd have her back no matter what. So, together, they faced what lied ahead, with no fears, no worries.

Just each other.

* * *

_Author's Note!_

Phew, I tried to finish that one really quickly before school started~ -_- I don't know if I'm gonna be able to update as fast next time though, with school and all…

Oh, when Donald was talking to Reina about the armor, I was thinking about how she'd use it if she were in the game so when he said magic, I was thinking about MP xD

Well, any thoughts, questions, or comments? Make sure to let me know! ^.^ Thank you for reading!

~narcotic-lullaby


	6. A Makeover

**Recap:** Namine, Roxas, Axel, and Demyx are cooking something up to get Reina's memories back. Back at Beast's Castle, Sora and the group convince Beast to go talk to Belle.

* * *

Everyone was walking towards the East Wing to Belle's room when a muffled scream rang out from a set of large green doors in the middle of the Hallway.

"I'm warning you!" A woman's cried. "You'll be sorry!"

"Belle!" Beast exclaimed, and stormed into the Ballroom. As soon as the doors opened, Belle ran towards Beast, who embraced her as if he were her sanctuary. Protectively, he led her to safety outside of the room.

"Look!" Goofy pointed to the man clothed in black standing at the end of the room. Fueled by anger and desperation to know, Reina summoned the Heartseeker and ran towards him before anyone else did.

"Where's Roxas?" she demanded, pointing the Heartseeker threateningly at him.

The man raised a finger behind her and Reina whipped back, but saw no Roxas. Her friends had caught up with her with their weapons drawn. She turned back confusedly, and saw that the man was shaking his head. He raised his arm and darkness spread from him, creeping up to the ceiling. The lights dimmed and emitted an ominous glow and a grim aura swept through the room. The darkness all collected at one point on the ceiling and then shot down, hardening to form some kind of large cocoon.

"What the—?" Sora stared at the cocoon. Reina looked back at the man—but he disappeared in a haze of darkness before anyone could stop him.

"What _is_ that?" Donald voiced the question in everyone's mind.

"Beats me." Goofy said, scratching his head.

"Then let's find out." Reina ventured to it, curious to find out what it was.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Sora told her when she started prodding it.

"What's the worst…" she froze when the cocoon started shaking on its own. In an instant, the cocoon burst open, sending Reina flying back like a ragdoll into one of the marble pillars. Blood trickled down her back and forehead as she slumped down onto the cold floor, hearing and seeing only brief flashes of what was going around her. She was slowly losing consciousness.

"_Reina!_" She heard someone rush to her and only managed to catch a pair of blue eyes before everything went black.

* * *

_It was one of those dreams again…except here, I didn't feel as tense._

_I heard voices…they spoke for a while, their voices sounding as if they were out of a broken radio…then, silence._

_I opened my eyes and blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the light. As I stirred, I realized I was lying on something soft and warm…a bed. I sat up, looking around. I was in a small, plain room with little furniture. Having no windows, all of the illumination came from the huge ceiling light. _

"_You're finally awake!" I turned to the door and saw a redhead with green eyes. "How do you feel?" He asked intently. _

"_My head hurts…what happened?" I heard myself say._

_The man moved his lips, but no sound came out as the scene started fading away rapidly. I started seeing only blurry colors…black…red…and then finally, white._

* * *

"Reina…?"

Said girl stirred, though she felt too weak to move.

"Cure!"

There. That felt better. Reina's eyes fluttered open to meet a pair of worried, blue ones.

"You're back!" Sora exclaimed, relieved. Reina sat up and saw her friends gathered around, looking extremely tired, but relieved.

"That thing was a Heartless." Goofy told her.

*_What thing?_* Then, she remembered. *_Oh…_*

"We finished it off, though." Donald said.

"I'm so sorry!" Reina said earnestly, looking down. She turned to Sora. "I should've listened to you."

Sora waved it off and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine…" Reina said, trying to straighten up. A sharp pain in her back caused her to slump once again.

"Here." Sora said, holding out his hand.

"Thanks…" She said, taking his offer. He pulled her up and slung one arm over his shoulder. At that moment, Beast, Belle, and the others entered the room, concerned and scared.

"What happened?" Beast asked.

"That guy sent a Heartless…it looked like a trap." Donald said.

"Xaldin!" Beast roared in anger.

"He must be from Organization XIII." Goofy said thoughtfully and Beast looked at him curiously.

"Ever heard of Nobodies?" Sora asked him. "When a strong-hearted person turns into a Heartless, a Nobody is created too. See, the Organization's got control of all the Nobodies."

"That's right! And they were gonna make you into a Heartless!" Goofy said.

"This is all my fault…" Beast shook his head. "I've hurt so many of you…" He meant everyone, but he looked more at Belle when he said it.

"We know you weren't yourself. You don't need to apologize." Belle said warmly and he looked up hopefully.

"But I had hoped…you might have changed a little bit." Belle scolded, waving an accusing finger at the Beast, who stepped back with a guilty expression. "I wish you could start trusting me." She said, looking away from him, crossing her arms. Beast looked down guiltily as Belle looked away, lost in her own thoughts.

"Oh, I'm afraid time is running short…" Lumiere commented at the scene.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"Remember the rose?" Lumiere said.

"The one in Beast's room?" Donald remembered fondly.

"Precisely," Cogsworth nodded, "You see, if the master can learn to love, and earn love in return, before the last petal falls…"

"…The spell will be broken." Ms. Potts sighed dreamily.

"Really? You think he's gonna make it?" Sora asked skeptically.

"We think so." smiled Chip.

"Yep, I think you're right!" Goofy agreed. Then, suddenly, the Heartseeker appeared and was drawn upwards, connected by a beam of light to something. Knowing what to do next, Sora used his free hand and pointed the Keyblade to the shimmering Keyhole, locking it.

"The gate is open!" Donald mused.

"Do you all have to go now?" Belle asked sadly. Goofy nodded sadly, and then a knowing smile lit his face.

"No more arguin' okay?" He winked at the couple. They both looked at each other shyly and looked away again, smiles creeping up their happy faces.

"Take care then, dears." Ms. Potts said, taking a courteous bow.

"You're welcome here anytime!" Cogsworth exclaimed, opening his arms out in a welcoming gesture, though his eyes lingered on Donald for a second.

"If you hear anything about Riku, the King, Heartless…" Sora started, but was cut off by Reina.

"And Roxas too." She added softly.

"Yeah, Roxas too. If you hear anything about them, then let us know, okay? See ya guys later, then!" Sora waved cheerily.

"Bye bye!" Donald sang as everyone said their goodbyes and headed out to the Gummi Ship, off to a new world, and a new opportunity for Reina.

* * *

"You're going to need to help her." Namine told Roxas and Axel in the White Room.

"Help her?" Axel asked. "But, you already unlocked the memories for her right? She should be remembering everything in no time."

Namine shook her head. "I just loosened the locks. The rest, she'll have to do for herself. It takes time."

She got up and looked outside the window. "Right now, she'll be confused or she might dismiss the memory as some kind of dream. You need to help her remember, to point her on the right path. That way, it'll be easy to keep her on one stream of memories."

"That can't be too hard, right?" Axel said confidently.

"And maybe we'll be able to spend some more time with her…" Roxas said hopefully.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Axel said with an old smile. "Let's make a _plan_."

* * *

"**Ow!**" Reina shouted as Donald dabbed an ointment on a bruise on her arm. "Are you _sure_ this is supposed to help?"

"Hold still!" Donald scolded with frustration. He was trying to heal her wound, without any success. Every time he came close to dabbing the bruise with the stinging green paste, she jerked away like a child refusing to eat vegetables.

"Well, it hurts a lot…" Reina muttered as Donald kept applying the paste to the wound on her arm.

"It'll hurt more if get's infected!" Donald retorted, and Reina braced herself reluctantly.

"Now the forehead…" Donald said, and they both sighed. At that moment, Sora entered the room.

"Hey, Goofy needs you at the Front." He told the duck, and then turned to Reina. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine…I guess…" she replied, in a bad mood.

Donald sighed and looked at the ointment, then at Reina. His eyes brightened as he thought of a way to get one thing out of the way fast. He got up and thrust the pot of ointment into Sora's hands.

"Here, make sure you put on a lot, the bruises are pretty bad." He said.

"Huh?" Sora said, startled.

"Cover the wound on her forehead with that." Donald said, heading towards the Front and Reina groaned.

"Just hurry up." She said with a little more edge than she meant.

Sora raised an eyebrow at her and thought, *_Okay, you asked for it…_*

She flinched when Sora raised his hand to dab the ointment.

"I haven't even put it on yet." Sora said, amused.

"I know, but it's just the thought of it." Reina said, eyeing the pot of ointment distastefully.

"It's better if you close your eyes and think of something happy." Sora said innocently, masking his mischievousness.

She fell for it. "Really? Okay…" She closed her eyes. Something happy…_Roxas_. Just thinking about finally being with him back at Twilight Town brought a happy air to her, and she realized she hadn't felt the sting from the ointment. But, the real reason wasn't because she diverted her mind. Sora wasn't putting on the ointment on the wound anyways. Feeling that the Ship was too quiet for the past hours, he took the paste and drew squiggly lines under her eyes and a curly moustache.

"You're right, I don't feel anything!" She exclaimed happily, still keeping her eyes closed.

Sora struggled not to burst out laughing. "Uh, right…"

Feeling that it just wasn't complete, he decided to put on a few more touches. He added a goatee and a bold, green dot on her nose. "There." He said, satisfied.

"Hm?"

"Oh, uh…It might sting a little now…" he told her, finally getting on the task Donald assigned him. After a few more complaints, it was finally done. Reina not only had the dark green paste on her healing wounds, she had on make up that looked like it was done by a two year old child.

"You're gonna have to let it set for a minute or so." He got up and looked away, trying not to laugh. He decided to tease her a little more. "Let's go to the Front, we should land pretty soon."

"Okay." Reina bounced up, feeling much better than before. The ointment really worked fast once the stinging was over.

"You look much better than before." Sora said, letting a smile slip past his restraint.

"I _feel_ much better." She told him with a smile. "Thanks."

"Oh…no problem." He felt a little guilty after that, but the end result weighed it out. He opened the door for her and said, "You first."

Donald, Goofy, Jiminy, Chip, and Dale were all talking excitedly about landing at the new world. When Reina entered the room, they all fell silent, staring at her.

"What…happened, guys?" She asked after a stretched silence and was met by hysterical laughter by everyone.

"What's going on?" She asked, completely lost.

"You should take the ointment off," Sora laughed, "I think it's set now."

"Uh, okay…" she muttered, leaving to the bathroom in confusion. There were a few more moments of laughter, then,

"_**SORAAA!**_"

In a flash she appeared clear faced at the Front, murder on her mind. "You. Are. _**Dead**__!_"

She chased him furiously all around the Gummi Ship, hitting him whenever she could while he kept on laughing and teasing her.

"Can't catch me!" He stuck his tongue out at her from the other side of the couch and laughed. Scowling and seething, she gave up and stormed up to the Front.

"Donald, you really need to teach me—woah!"

The Ship lurched and a flash of white light cleared to reveal a thicket of bamboo on a cliff overlooking a town. Reina's anger melted away instantly, replaced by excitement.

"We've landed at a new world!" She exclaimed ecstatically. She raced outside, not waiting for the others. It felt good to be outside after being cooped up in the Gummi Ship. She took in a deep breath of the chilly air and looked around. They seemed to land at some kind of clearing…

"Woah!" She jumped back in shock. Right in front of her was a huge dragon shaped Heartless, and it seemed to be looking _right at her_…

"C'mon girl, this is your big chance!" The Heartless…spoke?

Heartless can speak? Reina stared at it and let out a huge sigh of relief. It wasn't a Heartless, it was just a shadow. But, what was making it?

She spotted a young, troubled soldier looking down below at the town through a space in the thickets.

"I can see it now!" The shadow went on, "Fa Mulan whups public enemy number one! You're gonna be famous!"

"Reina, you were supposed to—" Sora said, as the group caught up with her. He stopped midway when he saw he saw the Shadow.

"Heartless!" He and Donald exclaimed as they both went in after it without another word.

"Wait, you guys!" Reina called, trying to stop them.

"Gawrsh, maybe we oughta look before we leap!" Goofy agreed as the shadow realized it and the soldier weren't alone. Reina saw a red lizard scurry from behind a big rock and into the arms of the terrified soldier.

"Is that Mushu?" Goofy wondered, looking at the cowering soldier.

"That's right; I know you've heard of me!" A little lizard popped out from the soldier's protection, raising his little fists and closing his eyes as if expecting a blow. "I'm little lethal and legendary! Now ya'll scram before I get my dragon dander up!"

Sora smiled at the sight of the little creature. "Hey, Mushu! We missed you!"

Mushu opened his eyes gladly. "Sora, Donald, Goofy!"

"You know them?" the soldier asked, voicing Reina's question.

"Know them?" Mushu slipped out of the soldier's grasp and approached the four. "Man, we used to kick all kinds of butt together! I used to help these guys in a lot of tight spots. 'Cause I'm a mighty dragon, right?" The dragon asked the trio, who nodded enthusiastically.

He turned to Reina and said, "And who might you be, pretty little lady?"

"I'm Reina. Nice to meet you two." She replied with a kind smile.

"I'm Mulan…uhm…" She started uncertainly, but then continued in a deeper, rougher voice. "No, no, I mean…"

"Ping!" Mushu finished for her, raising a finger to the sky.

"Mulan Ping?" Donald repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Just Ping." The soldier said in a more determined voice. "Son of Fa Zhou."

Reina tilted her head to the side in confusion. *_Wait, why is she pretending to be a guy…?_*

"You know Mushu?" Sora asked "Ping".

She (He?) nodded. "He's one of my family guardians."

"Gawrsh, we didn't know we were borrowin' someone important as a family guardian!" Goofy said, surprised.

"Yeah, that right!" Mushu climbed on Ping's shoulder, "And that puts you three in the debt of Ping here." He pointed at the trio.

"Mushu…" Ping muttered embarrassedly, grinning awkwardly at the four.

"Aw, they don't mind. Aint that right?" Mushu waved off.

"Hmm, sounds fair." Sora agreed, while everyone nodded.

"See, Ping here was just on his was way to the Imperial army," Mushu explained eagerly, "We gotta find recruits at our training camp."

"Would you join us?" Ping asked shyly, "It'll be more easer to fit in, if I'm guys...like you." She mentioned the trio.

"What d'you mean by _fit in_?" Sora asked.

"Well…uhm...don't worry about that." Ping went on nervously, feeling the cover was going to be blown.

"You're pretendin' to be a boy, aren't ya?" Goofy said, confirming her fears.

"Whaaa?" Sora and Donald exclaimed, looking from Goofy to Mulan and back again.

"You couldn't tell?" Reina asked incredulously.

"Nope!"

"Not me!" They both said, still in shock.

"I think it's working." Ping smiled hopefully.

"I don't know, those two would fall for anything." Mushu said, jerking his head toward the direction of Donald and Sora. Reina and Goofy chuckled at their expressions.

"Hey!" Donald shouted, shaking a fist angrily.

"We're still here!" Sora added grumpily.

"So, why're you pretending to be a guy, Ping?" Reina asked her. Ping sighed sadly.

"I'm taking over my father's place in the Imperial Army that was recruited to go against Shan-Yu and the Huns. They think it's a disgrace if they a girl in the army, and I couldn't let my father go; he's too weak right now. That's why I'm here." Ping explained which surprised Reina.

"What? They think it's a disgrace for a _girl_ to join the _army_? That's not fair!" She fumed.

"I know, I know," Ping agreed glumly.

"Wait...so that means Reina can't come with us?" Sora noted immediately.

"No, I'm afraid not." Ping shook her head apologetically.

"But we can't just leave her!" Sora insisted and Ping looked sorry.

"It's okay, I can handle myself." She said. Sora looked doubtful. "Besides, I'll just get myself kicked out if I try to go, so what's the point?"

"We can't just leave you!" Donald said adamantly.

"Yeah, we're a team, remember? All for one and one for all." Goofy reminded.

Sora thought for a moment, "D'you have another one of those?" he said, pointing at Ping's armor. Ping shook her head slowly.

"Don't worry guys, I'll be fine." Reina assured them, hiding the crazy plan that just formed in her head.

"We're not even supposed to leave you alone, remember what Yen Sid said? The Heartless and Nobodies want to take your heart, remember?" Sora went on, still not giving up.

"Nothing like that's gonna happen." Reina waved off. "I can take on anything!"

Sora's lips curved and he was about to say something when Ping announced, "We should be leaving soon."

"C'mon." Ping walked ahead of the trio, who waved goodbyes. Sora kept looking back every two seconds and, until they were gone from view, she let out a huge sigh of relief.

*_Alright, time to go on my own quest..._* Reina thought, looking over at the blazing campfire.

* * *

"A town…" Reina said to herself, looking past a tall, thick gate. She was at the foot of a mountain trail that was beautifully located by a gentle waterfall and stream. She walked over to the metal gates and became disappointed to find they were securely locked.

*_Is there any way to hop this thing?_* She thought, chin resting on hand as she stared up at the top of the gate. There was a soft _whoosh_ behind her and she summoned the Heartseeker as she swung around, recognizing the sound.

A lone Nobody swayed not far from her. *_Easy enough…_* She thought confidently.

But, as she took the first step towards it, several more appeared, more than she could handle. *_What's going on?_* She thought, surprised and confused at the overwhelming, multiplying number of Nobodies. Before she knew it, someone in a black robe clasped a hand to her mouth and she disappeared into a portal of darkness.

* * *

In an instant, they reappeared at a snowy summit of the mountain. She struggled out of his gentle hold and whipped around with the Heartseeker.

Her kidnapper held his hands up. "Woah, woah, woah, hold it there, coconut head."

She instantly recognized the voice, and the only person who would call her that. She lowered the Heartseeker. "Roxas…?"

The blonde lowered his hood and smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling. "Miss me?"

Reina tackled him to the soft ground, unable to keep her happiness to just words. "Too much." She smiled before bouncing up and pulling him up too.

She hit him lightly on the arm. "Why did you leave me?"

"Long story, let's not get into it," Roxas said, eager to talk about something else…something _normal_ again.

"We should, actually." A voice behind them said. A redhead in robes smiled at them with his arms crossed. "That went easier than I expected."

Reina took out the Heartseeker, but Roxas grabbed her arm and shook his head. It was then she noticed his black robes…_Organization XIII_ clothes!

"I'll explain…" Roxas said, a slight fear in his eyes at the way Reina took a step back.

"_We'll _explain." The redhead corrected. "Just…listen."

Completely blown away, she looked down for a long time, still trying to process what she just saw and heard. Then, she let the Heartseeker fade from her hands as she looked into the worried, even scared blue eyes of her best friend.

"Okay. Tell me...tell me _everything_..."

* * *

_Author's Note~!_

First off, I wanna thank Akizakura202 for giving awesome advice~! ^.^

This chapter…I hope it doesn't seem to crowded ^^; I tried to fit everything into this chapter quick cause of school~ xD

Did you guys have any favorite parts? Any questions, comments? Make sure to let me know! ^.^

~narcotic-lullaby


	7. Revelation

**Recap**: After Sora, Donald, and Goofy leave with "Ping" as recruits for an army in the Land of Dragons, Reina decides to go out and try to find Roxas on her own. She finds him…but not in a way she'd expected.

* * *

"I hope she'll be okay…" Sora said, looking up into the sky. Mulan and the trio resting at a checkpoint on the trail, the snowy terrain made alive with an olive tent sprung up on one side while the rest was littered with resting soldiers huddled together for warmth. Even though she excelled at defeating Heartless on the up to the checkpoint, the Captain had still not acknowledged her.

"You've said that a million times already!" Donald exclaimed, irritated.

"Is she your girlfriend or something?" Mulan asked interestedly.

Sora snorted. "No. She's just so new to this thing; she might get herself into some trouble…"

"Oh…" Mulan muttered, looking over at where Shang was standing. The captain was leaning over a map and discussing plans with other soldiers. She sighed heavily. _What_ would it take for her to earn that approval by the captain? When she entered the army, her main focus was to just to keep her head down and stay afloat. But now…after meeting Shang, she made it her priority to prove to him that she wasn't a weakling that stumbled into the army.

"When are we gonna kick some Hun butt, I am _freezing _over here!" Mushu complained, climbing out of Mulan's pocket.

"Mushu, be quiet! Someone might hear you!" She told him, pushing him back down.

Mushu's voice would not have been heard anyway because at that moment, a rotund soldier stormed onto the checkpoint, panting heavily.

"He- he's here!" he announced.

"What are you talking about, soldier?" Shang asked.

The soldier replied with only one name, sending a chill up Mulan's spine. "Shan Yu!"

Right then, several Shadow Heartless materialized and chaos reigned. "Attack!" Shang commanded, unsheathing his own sword. Mulan stood up and drew her weapon, determined to prove herself.

*_I'll show you this time, Shang_*

* * *

"Okay. Tell me _everything_…"

Reina took a breath and calmed herself, but couldn't help but frown at Axel and Roxas' Organization uniforms. She knew there had to be good reason; she had never seen her best friend so scared and hesitant before, and had never known him to hide anything from her.

"Just don't get scared or anything okay…?" Roxas said. He glanced at Axel, who gave him an encouraging nod.

Taking a deep breath, he told her "I'mpartaorganization."

"What?"

He took another deep breath and looked down. "I'm part of Organization XIII."

A pause.

"You're kidding right? You're joking!" Reina laughed as if Roxas was teasing her, but it faded when she saw both Roxas' and Axel's expressions. She was completely numb with shock when she tried to reassure herself. "You can't be! That's...impossible. You'd have to be a—"

"Nobody." Roxas nodded, still not looking up. "Yeah, I'm a Nobody…"

It felt like someone punched Reina in the gut. "_What?_"

"You knew!" Roxas told her, looking flustered. "But then you forgot, er, someone _made_ you forget, um, and then they made me forget too so I couldn't tell you, not that I didn't want to not tell you because I did, but I couldn't because I forgot…see?"

Axel shook his head as Reina stared at him, wondering if he lost his mind.

"He means to say is that both of your memories were modified." He told Reina as Roxas nodded vigorously. "That's why you don't remember anything from before."

"Before?" Reina repeated, even more confused.

"Yeah, when we were a team and we used to go on all sorts of missions!" Roxas said. "Back when you were in the Organization…"

It took a second for his words to fully impact Reina. "Waaaaaait…_**Me?**_"

* * *

"Donald, look out!" Mulan shouted, swinging her sword behind the wizard, effectively eliminating a Shadow Heartless.

"Thanks!" Donald said, impressed. The Captain was nearby and he nodded toward Mulan, whose heart soared with pride.

"Mulaaaaan!" Mushu yelled, speeding toward her like a red blur. Shang became confused. What was that thing….and why was it calling Ping by a girl's name? He shook his head. That was preposterous, Ping could not be a girl.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, crouching down so no one would see him.

"I just saw Shan Yu! He's going up the summit, I just saw him!" Mushu jumped.

"You did…?" Mulan thought. *_Then this must be a distraction! Shan Yu is actually planning something else!_*

She quickly rose but Mushu hopped on her shoulder and told her, "You can't tell him that! You need to get him yourself, girl! How else will you impress Captain Musclehead?"

"But I'm not supposed to…" she trailed off.

Nearby, Sora overheard. "It's your decision, Ping. We're gonna stick with you on this one."

"Well…fine, let's go." She decided, scanning the preoccupied soldiers in case anyone was watching. Sora nodded then rounded up Donald and Goofy, and the four trudged up the mountain, letting the commotion of the battle hide their exit.

Shang saw them.

* * *

"But doesn't that mean _I'm_ a…?" Reina muttered hesitantly, unable to finish the question.

Axel shook his head. "You were the only one out of us that had a heart."

"But why would the Organization keep me for so long? They're trying to steal my heart! Couldn't they have just taken it before?"

"What, you wanted them to do that?" Axel asked half incredulous, half amused.

"No! Of course not!" Reina said. "But, it just doesn't seem to fit with their standards..."

"We don't know why either…"Axel told her, brushing off the subject. "But, you believe us right?"

"About Roxas being a Nobody and then us being in the Organization at some point and then having our memories erased? It's kinda hard to take in." Reina told them. She thought carefully and then added, "But I feel like I should trust you."

"Really?" Axel said, surprised.

She nodded. *_Everything feels connected, like scattered peices of the same puzzle. The Organization, this Heartseeker, and now my memories..._* A flame lit inside Reina, burning with the fuel of unanswered questions. She knew that it might change her outlook on things, but she _needed_ to know, whatever the cost was. She began looking back at any clues that would explain the connection between her and the Organization and gasped when she remembered.

"What happened?" Roxas asked.

"This is what that Organization guy in Hallow Bastion was talking about!" she exclaimed, talking more to herself than the others. "And then…I had this dream!" She turned to Axel. "You were in it!"

"_Me_?" Axel pointed to himself, looking surprised but happy.

"Yeah…I was in this room…and then you asked me how was doing and I asked what happened…"

"I think that must've been your room back at headquarters!" Axel told her excitedly.

"It must've been after one of those times you got yourself hurt." Roxas said.

"_One_ of those times?" Reina repeated, and the other two laughed. She felt a smile creep onto her face effortlessly as a warm feeling of familiarity filled her up. She was still digesting what they had told her, but now she was more at ease knowing that they would be there for her, to guide her.

"You still have a lot to remember." Axel smiled.

"It'll be no time when you…" Roxas trailed off, looking up as if he sensed something. "We should go now." He mumbled to Axel, who nodded understandingly and created a dark portal with his palm.

"Wha? You're leaving?" Reina asked, looking back and forth from the redhead and blond in alarm. "You can't leave now!"

Axel sighed. "We have to. There's still a lot of work to be done."

Reina bit her lip in disappointment. "Oh…"

"But we'll find a way to meet you as soon as possible!" Roxas amended.

"You better!" Reina raised a threatening finger towards Roxas. "You don't know what I went through to get here!"

"Aw, are the big bad Heartless too much for the _Struggle Queen_?" Roxas teased as he crossed his arms. He put aside his grin and looked a little more serious. He took a step back and quickly told her, "Whatever you do, make sure you don't forget me."

Reina was taken aback at this. "Like I'd ever. Why would you say that?"

Roxas shrugged and smiled. "Just wait for me! I'll be back in no time!" He waved and quickly disappeared into the door, followed by Axel. She waved back to both of them with a smile until they vanished, leaving her alone in the balmy, snowy summit.

"Yeah, later..." Reina sighed, staring at where the portal was disappointedly. She wasn't left to dwell on it however, as she heard someone approaching her.

A tall brute with glazed amber eyes and trudged up the summit toward her in a robot-like fashion. The first thing Reina sensed about him was the darkness that surrounded him; it repulsed her. She expected him to attack her, but decided not to take out the Heartseeker when he didn't even turn his head toward her. He continued to ascend the summit just as a zombie would, and Reina took that as an opportunity to get away and tell the others about him. She was almost toward the bottom near the exit before a chilling laugh filled the air. She turned around and gasped.

Behind the man was an army of bee-like hovering Heartless, ready to attack on his command. As Reina looked more closely, wisps of darkness were more visible on him as he looked triumphantly in the distance. She turned around and saw he was looking at a city below and her eyes widened.

*_He's going to attack the city…he's going to fill this world with darkness!_* She took out the Heartseeker and for the first time, he acknowledged her. He laughed again before raising a hand, causing a few of the same hovering Heartless to appear in front of her.

*_Ah, crap…I should have just left._* She thought, taking a swing and missing because the Heartless were made to be quick and agile. They took advantage of her moment of imbalance and struck her, causing her to fall. She turned around and swung before the Heartless could strike her again, and then effectively released a captured heart into the air.

The man started his descent down, leisurely walking as if already savoring his victory. Reina stood up again to face the Heartless, and heard her name being called behind her.

"Reina!"

Sora and the others joined her in defeating the Heartless, but once they were finished with the few in front of them, their mouths gaped open at the sight of the Heartless army.

"Shan Yu…" Mulan growled.

"We'll never be able to take them!" Sora said desperately, looking at the thousands of Heartless.

"What is that…?"

"Captain!" Goofy exclaimed, shocked that he followed the group. Shang came with a few soldiers, but even combined they were no match for the Heartless at all. Then, something caught Mulan's eye.

"Retreat, men!" Shang commanded, but was stopped by Mulan.

"Wait, Captain!" She announced, running toward one of the soldiers. She took ared, dragon shaped missile from him and pulled Mushu from her pocket.

"What are you doin, girl! Let me go!" Mushu struggled as Mulan righted the weapon and aimed it at a cliff of ice above the Hun. Without taking her eye away from the target, she used Mushu as a lighter to activate the rocket and ran away from it as quickly as possible. Mushu's scream was heard all the way until the rocket met its target, which was then followed by an echoing blast and tons of ice falling down onto the slope. The Hun looked back and his amber eyes widened as he broke into a dash to escape the monstrous avalanche.

Reina felt being tugged away from the ice storm as everyone took refuge behind the rock ledge by the entrance of the summit. She saw Shan Yu break into a mad dash to escape but, along with his Heartless, he was swallowed by the roaring avalanche. Reina hoped Mushu was alright.

As the rumbling noise subsided, a cheer rang out the group. She looked down and saw it was Sora's hand that tugged her and she pulled down. He turned and let go immediately and covered his embarassment by cheering with the others.

"Ping! Ping! Ping!" soldiers cheered and Shang looked at her proudly.

"I should have never doubted you." Shang smiled, and Mulan hardly dared believe her ears. She finally earned the respect and honor she always wanted. "From now on, you have my trust."

"Thank you, captain." Mulan said gruffly, hardly concealing the excitement in her voice. Unfortunately, it was short lived as Mushu decided to open his big mouth then.

"First she uses me as a lighter, then as a cannon ball! The head ancestor's gonna hear about this!" Mushu fumed, "Y'know, that's it! I give up! I can't take this anymore! C'mon, Mulan. Let's quit the charade and go home, girl."

"Mushu…!" Mulan hissed as she jerked her head slightly to Shang. Mushu gasped and covered his mouth with his tiny hands and looked from Mulan to Shang.

"Ping…a woman? It **can't** be!" Shang glared at the guilty Mulan in disgust and betrayal.

"Captain…" Sora started, trying to ease the situation, but Shang's steely glare was then directed at him.

"You all knew didn't you? You all knew _Ping_ was really a woman!" Shang accused, his tone reverting back the coldness when Sora first met him. He turned to Mulan and shouted, "I can't believe you lied to me."

Mulan held her head down in shame and didn't reply and you felt pity on her. This had to happen right after she gained the Captain's trust, too. After a long pause he added, "The punishment for high treason and dishonoring the Imperial Army is…"

"This _dishonorable woman_ " Reina spoke up, her voice full of forced calm though he eyes expressed her outrage "Just saved your life. She just saved your world!"

Shang glared sharp daggers at Reina, who didn't back down. Finally, he said, "Get out of my face! You're all dismissed!"

"A life for a life..." Shang glared at Ping before turning to his army. "What are you all looking at? Send a message to the Emperor at once! Move out!"

The army quietly obeyed, though some of them threw sympathetic looks over the defeated Ping. The ex-soldier sunk the ground, hollowness in her eyes.

"He can't _do_ that!" Reina growled, taking a glance at Mulan's expression and digging her foot in the snow. "It's not fair!"

Mulan slowly trembled up and keeping her head down, she muttered, "I guess I won't be needing this armor anymore…" She quietly shuffled off to find a place to change, Mushu guiltily behind her. Donald and Goofy made camp with a magic fire and some food they had brought.

Reina started pacing in the snow, chewing her lip all the while. There just _had_ to be some way to make that idiot Captain to come back here, apologize, and take Mulan back to the city with highest honors. In the middle of pacing, Sora blocked her with concern in his eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's just that captain!" she fumed.

"No, are you hurt or anything?" Sora's expression changed into curiosity. "How did you get to where Shan Yu was in the first place?"

Reina stiffened, not expecting the question at all. "Nope I'm perfectly fine." She gave a reassuring smile, but Sora wasn't going to budge. Her avoidance of the second question made him suspicious.

"But how did you end up here?" Sora asked, crossing his arms.

"Uh...well, I was going for a walk and then..." Reina struggled, trying not to lie. "...Shan Yu! He just kinda came outta nowhere and then he summoned Heartless so I was just stuck there for a while."

Reina became nervous when Sora's expression turned to one of annoyance. "I thought you were going to stay at the clearing! What if something happened to you?"

"Well, I didn't wanna sit around! That would've have been boring." Reina said, relieved that Sora hadn't asked more about how she got there. "Plus, I am Twilight Town's Struggle Queen for a reason, y'know. No pesky Heartless is gonna bother me!"

"Chyeah, sure." Sora rolled his eyes though his lips curved into a smile. "Like they're going to run away from fear from the so called _Struggle Queen_." He then turned serious. "But don't do that again okay? The Organization could be anywhere and who knows what they're planning. We need to stick together."

"Yeah you're right..." was all Reina said as she nodded. Organization XIII...Axel, Roxas...and herself. They were all connected and she desperately wanted to know how, but she now realized that connection might change everyone else's view on her. Too scared to face their reaction if they found out she was connected to the enemy, she decided to keep this to herself.

A secret.

* * *

_**Author's Note!**_

Yes. I am still alive;; OTL

I had waaaay too much schoolwork and I didn't have a break…until now! I think I'll be able to update more frequently ^^

Hm…what are your thoughts on this chapter? And what are your thoughts Reina's past?

Any comments or questions, please let me know! ^^

~narcotic lullaby


	8. Food, Games, and Fun!

**Recap:** Reina finds out secrets from her past with the help of Roxas and Axel, including the fact that she herself was with Organization XIII at some point. Meanwhile, as Mulan strives to prove herself to Shang by taking out Imperial City's number one enemy Shan Yu, she is revealed to him that she is a woman and is dismissed.

* * *

Everyone was silent. The cackling of the small fireplace around Mulan and the others was the only source of sound that filled the tense air. Mulan couldn't bear it. She couldn't stand being sad anymore. There wasn't any point anyways; her tears weren't going to make the captain come back. She opened her mouth to announce that she would be heading back to her home when a distinct roar filled the air.

"What was that?" Sora asked, looking around.

"Look!" Goofy pointed upward to a hawk that seemed to be circling lower and lower. They followed the hawk until they spotted its target and a collective gasp rang through them.

Shan Yu was still alive.

He was further down the cliff, too low to see Reina and the others, but he wasn't looking at them anyways. His eyes were still set toward Imperial City.

"I don't believe it..." Reina whispered, amazed that someone could still be alive after an encounter with an avalanche.

"What are we going to do?" Donald asked Mulan. She was fixated on the Imperial City and had pure determination in her eyes.

"Were going to warn Shang and if he doesn't listen, well..." She radiated with energy. "We'll just have to take him down ourselves!"

"That's the spirit!" Reina cheered.

Mulan smiled broadly. She didn't care what Shang thought; she was going to protect her world no matter what.

* * *

The streets of the Imperial City were festive and colorful in celebration that their biggest enemy wouldn't harm them anymore. Reina wished she could enjoy the celebrations with them, but was busy being on the lookout for either Shang or Shan Yu. Earning several dirty looks, they snaked through the crowd until they reached the front, where the army was proceeding with long faces. They felt ashamed to be receiving such a parade for something they didn't deserve.

Goofy spotted Shang at the front of the parade, his stone-like face staring straight ahead. Mulan sped after him, startling many of the guards overseeing the parade.

"Shang!" Mulan called and Shang spun around. Seeing who it was, he turned quickly around, though that didn't discourage her. "Shan Yu is still alive! He's heading this way!"

"Why should I believe you this time?" Shang questioned. His answer arrived in the form of a shrill cry of a hawk.

"Look!" Reina pointed to the sky and sure enough, the hawk swirled down and perched on the shoulder of none other than Shan Yu, who was atop one of the palace roofs.

"Secure the palace!" Shang bellowed and the cheer of the crowd was instantly transformed into gasps and shock as they were forced outside.

"Captain, the Emperor!" Sora prompted, and Shang nodded. He led everyone to the palace, where Shan Yu placed a dagger to the Emperor's throat.

"Now you'll bow to _me_!" He threatened, inching the jagged weapon closer to the Emperor's throat.

"Shan Yu!" Mulan called. Shan Yu, temporarily distracted, didn't notice Shang until he was punched in the face. Shang then quickly led the Emperor behind safe palace doors, throwing a regretful look behind him as they closed.

"It ends now." She told him, her sword raised and teeth gritted. Shan Yu raised his eyebrows at them.

"Oh, really?" He asked, amused. He raised his hand and summoned some of the bee-like Heartless from before.

"It really does end now…but for you!" He growled, running forward to attack. The group dispersed and Sora, Goofy, and Mulan focused on Shan Yu while Donald and Reina kept the supporting Heartless at bay.

Reina lunged forward the Heartless, swinging the Heartseeker in a crescent form to gain a wide range of Heartless. Luckily for her and Donald, the agility of the Heartless was compensated by their weakness and both were able to keep the Heartless away from the others.

*_This is getting easier…_* Reina thought as she leaped up in the air and swung the Heartless, effectively eliminating the Heartless around her. Once they were done, she turned to Sora and the others.

She noticed the real fight was between Mulan and Shan Yu. Both were determined to take down the other, and their aggression seemed to tap endless reservoirs of energy. Sora and Goofy were both able distract Shan Yu for a while, but he always regained focus on Mulan, who wanted the attention. She felt the most compelled to fight him because she held the most anger against him—the man who wanted to fill her homeland with Heartless.

During the battle, Shan Yu started to laugh mockingly at her. "Do you really think you'll be able to defeat me, little girl? It's only a matter of time until I fill this world with Darkness."

"Yes." Mulan replied, keeping her weapon pointed at him. "Of course I will. Unlike you, I'm fighting with honor…I'm fighting with Light!"

With that, Shan Yu lunged at her, and she blocked his attack and threw him back. His moment of unbalance was the opening for Mulan's final blow, and she cut across him. Before he was even able to hit the ground, Shan Yu dissipated into tiny wisps of dark smoke.

"Mulan! You did it!" Sora yelled. She turned around and smiled.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys." She told them, a little breathless and very much tired. "Thank you."

"Three cheers for Mulan!" Reina called and their celebration filled the air around them.

"Now that's what I call burning some honey-bun! Aw, yeah, Mulan's the best! Mulan's the best!" Mushu cheered loudly, but he seemed to realize something and he instead said, "Wait a minute—**I'm** the best! Mushu's the best! Mushu's the best!"

The cheering was quieted when the palace doors swung open, revealing the wizened but elegant Emperor and Shang. The Emperor's silken robes trailed quietly behind him as he approached Mulan sternly. Shang was looking embarrassed, and Reina heard people filling up the courtyard behind them once again. They all bowed down at the sight of their ruler.

"Y-your Excellency!" Mulan bowed down immediately, turning red. Reina followed suit and had to pull Sora down by the collar too. "Show respect!" she whispered.

"I heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan." The Emperor told her, and Mulan straightened but still kept her eyes lowered.

"You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated the Imperial Army," the Emperor listed, causing Mulan to radiate heat, "Deceived your commanding officer, helped disguise a young woman as one of my nobles, shamed the entire Imperial army, and dishonored your family name."

Reina and Sora glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. *_We get the picture…._*

"But in the end…" the Emperor continued, and Mulan's head raised a fraction of an inch, "_You saved us all_."

Mulan looked up and was shocked to see the Emperor himself bowing, and everyone else in the courtyard was following suit. She was speechless and unsure of what to do; Reina could tell she was about to burst with tears at any moment.

The Emperor rose from his bow and turned to Shang, who stepped forward and took out a finely sculpted sword. The Emperor took the sword and presented it to Mulan and said, "Take this, so the world will know what you have done for the Imperial City."

"Your Excellency…" Mulan accepted the sword, her eyes brimming with emotion.

"Um…Mulan." Shang addressed her, and Mulan jumped a little. "Thank you."

"Thank you?" the Emperor turned to Shang with eyebrows raised in amusement, "Is that all you can say, Captain?" Shang looked confused but the Emperor went on. "If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, Imperial City's bravest woman, you'll have to be a bit more _eloquent_ than _**that**_**.**" He finished with a chuckle.

Mulan widened her eyes and looked away while Shang turned bright red and moved swiftly to everyone else. "Thank you all, for saving the Imperial City."

"You're welcome!" Mushu jumped on Reina's shoulder and Shang jumped back, startled. He bumped into Mulan and looked embarrassed again. "Sorry!"

Seeing Shang flustered made Mulan laugh and a small smile crept up on Shang's face as well. Reina felt herself smile at them and she automatically thought about Roxas.

The Heartseeker appeared in her hand, with a beam of light at the end and she looked at Sora, who nodded. A shimmering Keyhole appeared in the sky, connected to the Heartseeker, and Sora quickly locked it.

"Guess it's time to be movin on." Goofy said. The Gummi Ship appeared at that moment, ready to board.

"You shall be missed." The Emperor nodded.

"Is it okay if we come back and visit?" Reina asked, thinking of the parade.

"Of course! Anytime." Mulan smiled.

"We will look forward to your return." Shang added, standing next to Mulan.

"You two play nice!" Donald teased and the couple looked at each other and blushed.

"Whoa, woah! Watch it soldier!" Shang stammered as everyone laughed.

"Bye!" Sora waved before following every one toward into the Gummi Ship. The airship rose and sped off into the sky, off to another world.

* * *

"No, it's left! Can't you _see_?"

"Who's flying this ship?"

Reina got up from the sofa and looked toward the Front. *_What's going on?_*

She pushed the door the Front and saw Donald and Sora huddled by an electronic map on the dashboard, arguing vehemently. Goofy looked at them head in hand, completely bored. Chip, Dale, and Jiminy were following the two back and forth, as if they were watching a tennis match.

"What happened?" Reina asked Goofy, taking a seat.

"We're lost." He said simply and both brunette and duck looked at him angrily.

"We're _not_ lost!" they insisted strongly and Reina snorted.

"Is that why it's taking so long?" She asked Goofy, who nodded.

"Yup, I've lost track of time…" He looked over at one side of the dashboard and his eyes widened. A red light by a tank was glowing faintly. They were almost out of fuel! "Oh no!" He rushed to grab the controller and punched in several buttons. The Gummi Ship swerved and caused Donald and Sora to tumble over.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" Donald shouted, waving his fist.

"Yeah, what was that for?" Sora asked, rubbing his head.

"We're almost drained!" He told them, pointing to the glowing light. "We hafta get back to Hollow Bastion fast!"

He pushed a series of buttons and the Ship lurched and blinded them in a white light. Reina felt the Ship lurch forward, then hit and bounce on a concrete surface.

*_That can't be good._* She thought, getting up and looking through the dome. They made it to Hollow Bastion, but smoke could be seen on one side as the whole Ship was tilted on a rock. Chip and Dale rushed outside with Goofy, while Donald and Sora were still dazed from the crash.

"Get up!" Reina said, pushing the both of them. They gazed up at her blearily and she pointed to the smoke. Donald took one look and jolted outside in fear of his precious Ship.

"We're gonna be stuck here _forever_." Sora groaned, looking at the smoke.

"Really?" Reina asked excitedly.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, why?"

"Maybe we'll be able to explore this place!" She turned and ran. "Let's go!"

Sora smiled and shhok his head. "Wait up!"

* * *

"Maybe it'll take the whole day…" Chip informed them after checking the state of the engine. Dale scribbled on a paper using a pencil too large for him and slapped it onto Donald's face.

"That's what we're gonna need." He told him, disgruntled. Donald glared at the chipmunk and looked at the list. Dale stuck his tongue out to him and went back to help his brother.

"Well, we better get goin then." Goofy prompted, eager to go into the marketplace. Donald's uncle owned an ice cream shop around here and he couldn't resist ice cream at _all_. Donald sighed and followed him, completely the opposite of what Goofy was feeling.

"Well, what now?" Sora asked Reina, his hands behind his head.

"Let's go to that!" She pointed to a colorful area of Hollow Bastion that wasn't there before; there seemed to be a fair that sprung up recently.

"Okay, but…" Sora started, but Reina already started walking toward it excitedly.

"Hurry up slowpoke!" She called, not looking back. The brunette rolled his eyes and caught up with her. They walked off of the rooftop they were on and saw a long road with many booths and games on either side, filled with smiling families, friends, and couples. A bright blue and yellow banner above them read "Hollow Bastion's 2nd annual fair! _Food, Games, And Fun!"_

There were many different smells, including the distinct one of the sugary funnel cake Reina used to have at Twilight Town, buttery popcorn, and those of various other junkfoods. Sounds of laughter and happy chatter surrounded them, completing the lighthearted atmosphere.

"Do you wanna go to…" Sora stopped when he realized no one was listening. He craned his neck and saw that she was already walking ahead again, engrossed in what was going on around her. It was so different from Twilight Town and she was fascinated by every bit of it.

*_This girl…_* he thought, annoyed. He caught up and scolded her. "Stop doing that! Let's just stick together, okay?"

"Fine, _mother_." She mocked, and Sora tried to look annoyed, unsuccessfully. The two strolled around the fair, taking in as much of it as they could. They went in and out of shops and shows, poking fun at some items, like ridiculously gaudy hats with too many colorful feathers, and were amazed by others, like a juggler who was able to keep 5 different fruits in the air.

"_I _could have done that." Sora bragged cockily, after the show was done.

Reina crossed her arms. "No you couldn't!"

"Watch." They were near a jewelry stall and Sora took three bracelets from the stand. He flung them into the air and caught only one, letting the other two fall onto his spiky hair. Reina laughed and took the other two bracelets off of his hair.

"Yeah, _sure_ you could." She chuckled, and the stall owner noticed them.

"Well well well!" She exclaimed with a smile plastered onto her face. "Here to buy something for your girlfriend, are we?"

"We're not together, we…" Reina started as Sora froze. The woman's smile dropped and she snatched the bracelets from them.

"Then stop fooling around here!" She reprimanded. "I have _real_ customers to attend to!" With that, she turned away. Sora and Reina made faces behind her back.

"She's such a crabby lady!" Reina grumbled as she looked back at the stall.

"Yeah…" Sora agreed halfheartedly; he started getting lost in his train of thought.

"Uh…I'm hungry." Sora said abruptly, trying to divert his mind. "We should get something to eat."

"Funnel cake!" Reina spotted, looking at an inside cafe from which the sweet smell came from. "Have you ever tried it?" Sora shook his head and Reina was surprised. "You _have_ to, it's delicious!"

She led him over to the sign which listed the items and prices. "Hm…they're a little expensive...Do you have 120 munny?"

"No, I only have 30…" Sora's eyes widened when he saw the price of the funnel cake. 150 munny?

"I only have 30 too…" Reina frowned. "How are we going to get enough?"

"We could get something else…" Sora said.

"The normal kind is the cheapest thing on here!" Reina stared wistfully at the inside of the café, where people were enjoying their pastries. Then, something caught Sora's eye.

"I know a way to get the munny. Come on." He led Reina to a crowd surrounding a tank that had a wooden seat over it. Targets moved around magically above the tank, 3 blue and 1 red. There was a boisterous host on a microphone who for any two people to volunteer. One person had to sit on the seat and risk falling into the tank while the other had to hit the red target taking care not to hit too many of the moving blue ones; hitting two blue targets would cause the seat to drop into the tank. The prize was 120 munny, enough for the funnel cake.

"She volunteers to sit up there!" Sora shouted above the crowd and pointed to Reina, who looked confused.

"Wait, what?" She glowered at Sora as the host led her up to the seat. Sora snickered and stuck out a tongue to her.

"Splendid, splendid!" the host said on the microphone as Sora paid the fee of 10 munny to play. The host gave him 3 balls to throw at the targets. "Good luck!"

"You better win, Sora!" Reina yelled threateningly, looking down at the tank.

"You know, my vision's been kinda blurred lately." Sora squinted and pretended to throw the ball in the wrong direction.

"_Sora_!" Reina pleaded and he laughed.

"Fine, fine…" He aimed at the red target, which was occasionally blocked by the blue ones. Waiting for the opportune moment, he threw the ball. He watched it fly slowly to the red target…and hit a moving blue target.

A buzzer went off and Reina's seat lowered. Her shocked expression made Sora burst into laughter, along with some of the crowd around him.

"Ohhh, missed! One more try!" the host told him.

"Do you think this is funny?" She roared, readjusting herself to avoid slipping into the water.

Sora laughed even harder and nodded. "It isn't!" Reina continued, glaring daggers at him.

"Okay, one last time…" He muttered, tossing the ball in the air lightly. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the blue targets. They left an open gap at a certain time, leaving enough room for the ball to pass and hit the red target. He raised his hand and concentrated on that gap. Timing himself, he threw the ball and….

"Congratulations!" the host said as a ring went off, signaling that he won. Reina let out a huge breath of relief but froze when she saw the host was grabbed a lever. To her dismay, the host lowered it to please the crowds.

"No, don't you—_ahhh_!" She was dropped into the tank of cold water and she heard the surrounding crowd laughing and cheering for the next person to sit up there.

"How's the water?" he asked her from the edge of the tank when she rose. She glared and squirted all the water in her mouth, like a blowfish.

"Hey!" Sora shook the water off of himself.

"That's what you get!" She grumbled as she stepped out of the tank. It was dark now, and stars were peeking out. The fair was now illuminated by the several streetlamps and attractive lights radiating from rides. Sora went to go claim the prize money and returned to see that Reina was shivering.

"Here." He took his jacket off and offered it to her.

"I can't take that! It'll get wet." She told him and he shook his head.

"You'd rather get sick?" He frowned. She sighed and slipped it on.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Sora looked away, feeling embarrassed for some reason. When he turned back to her, he had a mischievous smile on his face. "You should have seen your face up there." He imitated her falling and she hit him across the arm.

"Not. Funny." Reina told him. "Watch, I'm gonna get you back for this!"

"Sure you will." He laughed.

The two entered the café, and Reina instantly felt warmed up from the heat of the kitchen. She ordered the sweet and they took a seat by the window.

"I wonder if the Gummi Ship is fixed yet." Reina said, looking outside.

"I forgot all about that..." Sora said, just realizing it.

"Of course you would." She reached over and pushed his forehead. "You're too busy torturing people!"

"Muhahaha!" Sora eerily imitated Shan Yu's cackle, amusing Reina.

"Do that again!"

He did and they both burst laughing. The people around them sent them strange looks and the chef worked quickly to make sure they got their order fast. Soon enough, their cake was ready. When Reina brought it to the table, Sora noticed something.

"It's in the shape of a star."

"Yeah, cool isn't it? I've never seen something like this at Twilight Town! I guess it's because of the fair." She broke off a piece and chewed slowly, relishing the flavor. She pushed it toward him. "Have some!"

"Uh…sure." He broke off a piece and saw why Reina liked it so much; it really was delicious. But, he couldn't help that he was feeling a little…uncomfortable? He couldn't pinpoint for sure what the feeling was, but it didn't feel normal at all.

"What's wrong?" Reina asked, biting off another piece off.

Sora shook his head.

"Then have some more!" She offered. "I can't finish this by myself!"

"I'm trying not to steal it all from you." Sora smiled, breaking off a piece. Smiling slightly, Reina suddenly remembered the times when the fair used to come to Twilight Town. She and Roxas made it a tradition to buy funnel cake and gorge themselves until they were stuffed. After, they'd watch the fairgrounds from the Tower until night. She was sorely missing those moments with him.

"_There _you are!"

The teens turned around and saw an impatient Donald crossing his arms. "We've been looking all over for you! The Gummi Ship is fixed!"

"Yep! All ready to go!" Goofy added cheerily, taking a bite of his ice cream. Jiminy was on his shoulder, engrossed in his miniscule journal.

"How many of those will you eat?" Donald asked, exasperated. "You made my uncle a fortune."

"You mean to say you have extra money?" Reina asked and when they nodded, she sighed. "We could have just asked them."

"Well, we could have done that too now that I think about it…" Sora smirked slyly, getting up. "Oh well."

"Oh well?" Reina repeated, outraged. She took the cake out of Sora's reach. "No more for you! Hmph!"

She stormed off, holding it close to her. Seeing her, Sora felt himself smile automatically. It became a habit to him now; the same affectionate, sweet smile that radiated warmth. He had never smiled like that before, not even with Kairi. Reina was…someone special to him.

Not that he'd ever admit it, though.

* * *

_**Author's Note!**_

Phew, finally done with the second round of testing!

This chapter is filled with cheesiness...next one won't be, promise! I want to give a little more insight on Reina's past next chapter. As for this one, I imagined Sora to be in denial and then gradually warm up to the idea of being with Reina...

Well, what are your thoughts about them together? Questions or suggestions? Make sure to let me know! ^^

~narcotic lullaby

p.s I think I was heavily influenced by the upcoming summer break…I seriously miss funnel cake. ;A;


	9. Temporary Distraction

**Recap:** After helping Mulan take down Shan Yu and seeing her receive the honor she deserved, the group left The Land of Dragons….and ended up crashing in Hollow Bastion, thanks to Donald and Sora's bickering. Sora and Reina spent a day together at the fair grounds at Hollow Bastion, which made the former slightly closer to realizing something…

* * *

"_It's really pretty, isn't it?"_

_I took a breath of fresh evening air, and smiled contentedly at the colorful rides that competed with the fresh sunset. Summer breeze gently swept across my skin and added to the tranquility of the moment. The blondie and I were on top of the Twilight Tower, after a day at the fair like we'd do every year._

"_You weren't saying that when you were on the ferris wheel." Roxas mocked. "'We're going to fall! Oh no!'" He put a hand on his forehead and swayed dramatically._

"_That thing was broken, that's why!" I shoved him, defending my behavior. He laughed…but then trailed off with a frown, staring into the horizon._

"_What's wrong?" I asked._

"_Huh? Oh, it's nothing." He waved off._

_I stared at him obstinately and repeated, "No really, what's wrong?"_

"_Well…this is going to sound weird, but…" Roxas turned. "I feel like we're missing some one."_

"_What, you mean like Olette and the others?"_

_Roxas shook his head. "No, just some one…Like some old friend? It's kind of hard to explain. "_

"_Well…now that you mention it, I'm feeling the same way." I admitted. He was right; whenever we were together on Twilight Tower, I would always feel an empty space. I wasn't sure what it was, and who was supposed to fill it but it never felt completely…right._

_The scene blurred and I saw myself sitting on Twilight Tower again with Roxas and…Axel? And I was in…Organization clothes?_

"_Mmm, it's really pretty, isn't it?"_

"_Yeah, whatever you say." Axel stretched and froze as loud crack was heard. "Ah, that still hurts!"_

"_Seriously?" Roxas asked, taking a bite of his sea salt ice cream. The three of us were watching a sunset, each with frozen treats in hand. "This isn't the first mission we've been on!"_

"_Maybe he's just getting old." I whispered to Roxas, who snickered along with me._

"_Says the person who's always gotten at least one injury in every mission." He retorted halfheartedly._

"_I'm getting better!" I insisted. They both looked away, scratching their heads. "Forget you guys! I'll just ask Demyx to train me, then!"_

_Axel snorted. "You'll get worse."_

"_Yeah, you'll probably just be up here all day, eating ice creams." Roxas added._

"_That…actually doesn't sound like a bad idea." I considered. "No more missions! No more stupid Heartless."_

_Roxas stretched. "Yeah…but that'll get boring fast."_

"_So what?" I persisted. "We could go to different worlds, couldn't we? There's always something to do, something to see...It'll be fun!"_

"_Cmon, Reina you know we can't do that." Axel said, as if he were telling me for the hundredth time. "With the Organization and all…"_

"_Okay, well after that!" I went on, excitement in my eyes. "How about it? We'll travel throughout all of the worlds!"_

_Axel laughed and ruffled my hair. "Okay, fine. We'll go everywhere you tell us to!"_

"_Promise?" I kept my hand out._

"_Sounds good to me!" Roxas put his hand on top of mine and we both looked at Axel, who nodded and added his own._

"_Promise."_

_Axel's voice echoed as the scene faded and became total darkness._

* * *

"What are you doing in there?"

An annoyed voice broke Reina from her train of thought. She was in the bathroom of the Gummi Ship and was staring blankly into the mirror, thinking about the dream she just had. Was it even a dream? It felt more of like…a memory.

"I-I'm getting ready! Give me a few minutes!"

"The Queen won't like us being late!" Donald continued impatiently.

Reina nervously took one last look in the mirror and made sure there were no pesky stray hairs before swinging the door open.

"Sorry! Let's go."

Donald led Reina passed elegantly carved marble pillars and ornate statues down a large hallway. Gleaming chandeliers illuminated the smooth walls, which were periodically marked by majestic portraits being swept by magical brooms. Curiously, Reina peeked at one of the ones being taken down and caught a glimpse of half a smiling face before being prodded by the castle servants to hurry.

Donald knocked a certain tune on two colossal blue doors and a small opening appeared on the side. Reina's amazement was soon drained and became replaced by exasperation as she saw teams of Heartless flood the pristine Throne Room. Sora and Goofy were already trying to keep Heartless at bay while someone behind them had their head down and her eyes shut in thought. Reina gasped. It was Queen Minnie!

Just then, the queen looked up as if she finally remembered something. "Stay back everyone!"

Sora and Goofy did as told, retreating behind Minnie as she started chanting something. A swirl of faint light circulated around Minnie and magnified into golden rays shooting toward the Heartless. Minnie raised her hand and became connected to a pillar of light, which instantly engulfed the room.

When the light subsided, Reina blinked to adjust her eyes to the fact that all of the Heartless _were completely gone_.

"Woah…" she breathed, looking around the room cautiously, as if they would all appear again.

"Your majesty!" Donald swept into a low, habitual bow. He made sure to glare at Reina before saying, "I apologize for our lateness."

Minnie turned to Reina, who immediately turned red and bowed immediately, her hands fidgeting at her sides. At the sound of a chuckle, Reina looked up and saw Minnie approach her with a smile. Reina felt a bit more at ease and returned the gesture to Minnie, who stopped in front of her.

"Reina…" Minnie looked at her intently and looked as if she were about to say something but caught herself.

"Y-your majesty." Reina nodded. She wondered why Minnie was hesitating but stood stock still, not wanting to say anything in fear of embarrassment.

Minnie took a deep breath and started over, this time with dignity. "You have a lot on your shoulders, Reina." Minnie told the teen. "The Heartseeker is one of the strongest weapons we have against Darkness. Come, I'll show you."

Minnie turned and Reina glanced uncertainly at the others, who followed suit. A lot on her shoulders? There was something more to the Heartseeker than just defeating Heartless and Nobodies? Reina didn't like where this was going, so she followed Queen Minnie in silence. Donald seemed to be puzzled about something and talked in low tones to Goofy. Sora strode next to Reina with a smile in greeting.

"What happened, sleepyhead?" Sora whispered, looking at her expression.

"Where are we going?" Reina asked, glancing at the queen. Minnie seemed to be lost in thought again as she walked up to the throne and muttered something. The ground shook, and Reina's mouth was wide open as the platform the throne was on slid across the floor to reveal a spiral staircase.

"Guess we're gonna find out." Sora replied, also not feeling too happy about what was next. As they descended, a sense of foreboding grew as everything grew darker and darker. Reina felt more repulsed each step, and their destination explained why.

The walls in the room around them were covered in thorns created by darkness itself, moving as if they were alive. The thorns swayed idly, occasionally creeping to a patch of light on the floor, but they always twitched and retreated as if burned. That source of light radiated faintly from a large spherical stone on a pedestal in the middle of the room.

"The Cornerstone of Light." Minnie said in response to Sora and Reina's confused expressions. "It protects the castle, and this whole kingdom, from Heartless. But now…"

"Gawrsh, what happened to it?" Goofy frowned.

"That's why there's Heartless in the castle!" Donald exclaimed and Minnie nodded sadly.

"The Cornerstone is a valuable relic to this kingdom." Minnie turned to Reina. "It embodies a piece of the light Kingdom Hearts is made of, just like the Heartseeker itself." Everyone turned to Reina, whose expression faltered considerably. "Because you are the Heartseeker Guardian, you specifically have the ability to restore it."

It was then Reina felt the weight Minnie was talking about earlier, that the Heartseeker actually meant more than some magical weapon, more than an excuse to go to different worlds and look for Roxas. She had never thought of it as anything more than defense against the Heartless…actually, until then, she hadn't thought much of anything at all. Everything happened so fast, she realized she hadn't thought to stop and question why, of all people, it was _her_ that wielded the Heartseeker. She just went with it.

Reina looked at the Cornerstone, its pulse feeble. No matter what she thought now, there was definitely no turning back; she was stuck with the Heartseeker and she'll have to deal with all of the responsibilities that were attached to it. Whether she liked to or not.

"Heartseeker Guardian, huh?" Reina repeated, mostly to herself. She looked at Minnie with what she hoped was an optimistic smile. "You can count on me!"

"Us!" Sora corrected with a grin. "Don't think you can take all the glory by yourself!"

"All for one!" Donald started.

"One for all! Don't think you're gonna do this alone!" Goofy finished and a beacon seemed to be radiating in Reina's heart, beaming with gratitude. She felt slightly less burdened and much safer, knowing that she would have people she can count on.

"Yeah!" Reina cheered, mostly to buoy her own spirits. "Don't worry, your Majesty. Your castle will-"

"_Your __castle?" _A mocking cackle filled the room, getting louder with each second. "_Don't count on it for long._"

A burst of green flames erupted at the foot of the Cornerstone and revealed a tall woman clothed in black robes and a headdress with horns. She carried a scepter that matched her green tinged skin and wore a haughty smirk.

"Maleficent!" Sora growled, immediately taking out the Keyblade.

"Ah, what do we have here?" the witch's cold green orbs scanned the group. "If it isn't the Keyblade Master and his lackeys…and oho!" Her eyes gleamed maliciously at the sight of Reina. "_You're_ the Purest of Hearts? It really does pick anyone, doesn't it?"

Reina's mouth hardened to a thin line and her eyes narrowed. The last thing she needed was someone to discourage her at the time when she realized how important having the Heartseeker was. She knew that she had no idea of the responsibilities of being the Guardian were like, but she was going to make sure she proved Maleficent wrong.

"Just what are you doing here, Maleficent?" the Queen demanded.

"Queen Minnie, radiant as always." Maleficent made a mock bow. "I'm here on a property venture…I want this castle as my own. However, it's a bit too _bright_ for what I have in mind. I suppose I'll just have to fill every room with _my_ personal touch of darkness!" She gestured to the dark thorns.

"Go look somewhere else." Reina started glaring at the witch. "We're not gonna let this castle fall to Darkness, so it's better you just leave now!"

Maleficent raised her eyebrows amusedly. "Just like your predecessor, aren't you?" she chuckled, confusing Reina. "Very well, then. I'll stop…As soon as this castle belongs to me!" Her laughter echoed even after she disappeared in black and green flames.

"What a hag." Sora shook his head. "She just doesn't give up, does she? We'll just take her down like before!"

"Maleficent's threats aren't something to take lightly." Minnie warned. "We just need one more person to help us….Merlin!"

In less than a blink of an eye, a burst of smoke clouded the Hall of the Cornerstone and revealed Merlin, looking alarmed. "Queen Minnie! What is it?"

Queen Minnie explained the situation, and Merlin took time to inspect the Cornerstone. After he was done, he waved his wand and conjured a set of mysterious, silver doors.

"What's that?" Goofy asked.

"This door is a gateway to a special world. Someone in that world is responsible for what's going on in this castle. Of that, I am certain." Merlin told them. "The perpetrators must be stopped, but there's something else to do first. Somewhere in that world, there should be another door identical to this one. I believe our enemies are using _that_ door. As long as it remains open, the castle will be in grave danger and darkness will continue to seep to this world."

"Listen, Sora." Merlin continued, "You must find that door and lock it with your Keyblade and prevent any more darkness from entering this world. Only then will Reina be able to restore the Cornerstone."

"Then we'll be back in no time!" Reina said confidently. "These Heartless aren't going to stay for long, Queen Minnie!"

Minnie nodded with a smile. "I have complete faith in you four."

"Let's go, then!" Donald said impatiently, wondering what was behind that door. He pushed the door open and the four entered the light behind it, leaving Merlin and Minnie to look after them in hope.

"She is a lot like her father, isn't she?" Minnie said with a sad smile after the door closed.

"Almost an exact copy, I suppose." Merlin chuckled. He sobered quickly, turning to Minnie seriously. "She hasn't found about him, hasn't she?"

When Minnie shook her head, Merlin was indignant. "The child has a right to know! She can't stay in the dark about this!"

"Mickey wanted her to remember on her own. If we tell her now, she'll be completely unprepared for what she's going to go after. From the sound of it, her memories are supposed to be returning to her… slowly." Minnie sighed. "We hope that by the time she remembers everything, she will have enough experience to take on the Organization."

"That _is_ true..." Merlin said thoughtfully. "But suppose one of the members of the Organization themselves reveal what happened? What then?"

The queen stayed silent, unable to answer the question. How could she? Seeing the child today, she half didn't want Reina to remember anything at all. She could only imagine what was going to happen to Reina when she found out, and she knew that no amount of physical training would prepare her for the emotional wounds she'll inevitably have to face.

"We can only hope for the best…"

* * *

"This is impossible…"

DiZ stared at the diagram of Sora in front of him in frustration. Seventy-Eight percent. No more, no less. "_How_…?"

"I thought you and Namine had everything planned." The hooded man next to him said in an accusatory tone. He too was in a state of disbelief; several days had passed yet DiZ had told him that Sora's recovery was stagnant. But, unlike for DiZ, this was a more personal thing for him— Riku wasn't going to wait around any longer for results. When DiZ didn't respond, apparently too lost in thought, the silver haired man turned and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" DiZ asked heavily, not looking back.

"Wherever that Nobody is." Riku told him, creating a dark entryway with his palm. "If he isn't merging with Sora willingly..." He stepped into the portal, letting wisps of darkness engulf him. "Then I'll just have to _make_ him."

* * *

"So, what did you tell DiZ?"

"There wasn't anything else I could tell him." Namine looked away from the window in the White Room to face Axel and Roxas. "He knows Roxas is still…alive. I just told him that it might take longer than expected for him to merge with Sora."

Namine quickly looked back at Twilight Town's forest, where the summer breeze was now merely a whisper, feebly caressing scattered leaves that marked the start of fall. She was confused. Was what she was doing right? Well, she _was_ helping Roxas out...and _she'll_ be happier that way, wouldn't she? What Reina didn't know won't hurt her. Namine sighed.

*_Why am I having this bad…feeling then? I'm not doing anything wrong!_* She found that she kept telling herself that often. She had no other choice; she had already done too much to look back now.

"What are gonna do?" Roxas asked Axel, who had his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

"Go on with the plan." Axel said simply. "We'll just have to be a bit more careful now…" Axel started muttering to himself, rearranging certain points in his plan. Roxas rolled his eyes. He didn't bother asking what the redhead was thinking about because he knew he'd just get random rambling that made no sense to him whatsoever.

And he didn't need it to. Roxas trusted Axel completely, especially when he had so much dependency on him…for everything. Axel was the one who saved him from merging with Sora in the first place and now, he was helping get Reina back.

*_Everything would be just like it was before…* _He thought. His azure eyes wandered towards the drawings that were plastered on the white walls, giving them life. He stopped at a picture of him and Reina, sitting on top of Twilight Tower eating sea salt ice creams. An automatic smile curved his lips as he remembered fondly of the many times he spent with her there.

*_I miss these moments …_* He thought, recalling her look of triumph whenever they proved Seifer wrong, her look of defeat when she lost one of the crazy bets they'd have, her smile, her laughter…his eyes fell on the drawing of a brunette, whom he eyed distastefully.

"Hmph." He crossed his arms. It wasn't _fair_. Why did _he_ have to be the Nobody? He deserved to be traveling worlds with Reina, to be worry free, to have a _heart_ as much as that _Sora _did. Actually, he believed deserved it more. Where was Sora when she needed help the most, through every wound and tear?

*_That's right…he wasn't._* Roxas's face soured as a wave of an unpleasant feeling overwhelmed him. *_I don't deserve to disappear…_*

"Riku!"

Namine's voice jolted the Organization members from their thoughts and they looked at the blonde. Within a spit second, they dissipated along with portals of darkness, just as someone was entering the room.

Right after their disappearance, the said person stormed into the room, his anger not conveyed by his bandaged eyes but the growl of his voice. He couldn't sense the Organization members' brief presence as his energy was concentrated on Namine, who looked at him apprehensively.

"You had to do something with it, didn't you?"

* * *

"Oh, look!"

Minnie pointed toward the dark thorns that covered the walls. They were growing smaller and smaller until they burst into small patches of light and vanished.

"They've done it." Merlin said approvingly, looking at the now clear Hall of the Cornerstone. Right then, a burst of light finally erupted from the silver doors, startling the queen and the wizard.

"Ow!"

"Ugh, wha—"

"Sorry! _Ah_!"

"Woah!"

The four spilled from the silver doors in a heaped mess, looking quite exhausted yet satisfied with their mission at the Timeless River. Donald was the first to get up and looked around, punching the air in success.

"We did it!" Goofy cheered. Reina was about to join, but Sora reminded her of the reason why they went to the Timeless River in the first place.

"But, the Cornerstone…" he trailed off, looking at Reina, who nodded.

She shuffled toward the spherical stone uncertainly. What exactly was she supposed to do? She summoned the Heartseeker and tapped the stone with it gently. Nothing happened. She looked back for help, but all she received was unsure shrugs and hopeful looks. Biting her lip, she lowered the Heartseeker and touched the stone and instantly felt a rush of warmth flow through her. The sensation wasn't like any other experience she had with Light; this spread through her body, so it was like she was a _part_ of it. A faint glow formed around her and, almost instinctively, she raised Heartseeker raised and pointed straight at the Cornerstone. A beam of light connected the two and the Cornerstone lit up, illuminating the hall with a blinding light.

When the beam thinned into a thread connecting the Heartseeker and a Keyhole, the sensation also died down though Reina felt a little lightheaded.

Sora quickly locked the Keyhole and the glow around Reina disappeared, leaving the Cornerstone back to its original state. Reina placed her hands on her knees and closed her eyes, trying to steady herself.

"Are you okay?" Sora darted to her anxiously.

Reina took a deep breath and looked up with a smile. "Yeah! Yeah…I was just a little dizzy…what happened?" She addressed the last part to Merlin, who was stroking his beard, gazing at the Cornerstone as if it would tell him answers.

"Hmm…I need to research this at once!" He said, raising his finger to the sky. He turned to Minnie and bowed politely. "Farewell, your majesty!" He turned to the others. "Until next time, then!"

He waved and disappeared with a _poof_ of white smoke. Queen Minnie stepped forward and beamed at them.

"Thank you for restoring the Cornerstone and preventing this kingdom from collapsing into darkness." Minnie told them graciously.

Reina, Goofy, and Donald looked bashful while Sora kept his hands behind his head. "No problem." He said cockily. The other three glared at him and Minnie chuckled.

"Let's see how the others are doing." She said, turning toward the brightly illuminated staircase.

"How about a…feast?" Sora proposed hopefully. Instead of glaring at the brunette, the three looked at Minnie's retreating back hopefully, their stomachs growling for the royal treatment.

"Of course." Minnie laughed. "I'll tell the cooks right now."

The four cheered excitedly, their minds primarily concerned with the prospect of food. Primarily.

Reina still had a jumbled mess of questions and thoughts in the back of her mind, but she forced them there. She didn't want to think about anything; being with her friends was enough to divert her mind to a brighter perspective, if only for a while.

She wanted to savor this temporary distraction.

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

Hel-_lo_! This was supposed to be posted earlier, but stupid SATs…oh well! I'm done with them now, which means I have a pretty clear road to more free time, ignoring the fact I have finals in a couple of weeks ^^;;

This whole chapter is basically filler…but an important one! I tried delving into the going-ons of the other characters to give them more depth (and I really didn't want to write the Timeless River stuff again xp). I also _tried_ to give more info on Reina's past, but I think turned out a little confusing…I can't really tell, 'cause it makes perfect sense to _me_ xD

Welp, what are your theories on that little convo between Merlin and Minnie? Any predictions, comments? Make sure to let me know~ ^^

~ narcotic-lullaby

(p.s **heartarrow56**: Thanks for the idea! It wasn't really a flaw (as of right now), but Reina having to deal with the responsibilities of having the Heartseeker will bring more conflicts…I hoped you liked it ^^)


	10. Guardian

**Recap:** Reina gets a flashback of her Organization XIII days, but has little time to dwell on it when Queen Minnie calls the group for help to restore the Cornerstone of Light, a relic derived from the light of Kingdom Hearts. Reina finds that there are certain responsibilities attached with being the "Heartseeker Guardian" and becomes slightly burdened by the thought of it. Meanwhile, Riku storms off to find Namine after realizing that Roxas wasn't going to merge with Sora any time soon.

* * *

The sound of laughter and happiness filled the air of the Main Hall as Donald, Goofy, and their sweethearts, Daisy and Clarabelle, finally met each other after what must have felt like lifetimes of separation. Well, stalked more like; Daisy and Clarabelle both tackled Donald and Goofy right after they had left the Hall of the Cornerstone out of nowhere. Seeing a special light in their eyes as they spent moments together Reina couldn't help but smile brightly at them.

But, she wanted quiet. She wanted to think. She stood up to leave the Hall in thoughtful silence, her black hair covering her clouded eyes as she stared at the glittering marble floor.

The dreams…no, _memories_ she's been seeing were on the forefront her thoughts until the Cornerstone incident. She was the Heartseeker Guardian…whatever that was. Was it similar to being the Keyblade Master, like Sora? She thought of all the stories he told her about traveling the worlds in search of his friends. He'd saved Princesses, beat Ansem, closed the door to the Realm of Darkness and is on a similar quest again—he was completely complaint-free and even seemed eager about it. Was that expected of her too?

"Reina."

Recognizing the high pitched voice, Reina turned around and bowed immediately. "Your Highness."

"I was thinking of taking a walk in the fresh air." Minnie said as she approached her. "Would you care to join?"

"Yes, of course." Reina replied almost automatically.

"I haven't seen Daisy and Clarabelle like that in _ages_." Minnie chuckled. "I suppose some things don't ever change, do they?"

"Yeah…" Reina agreed halfheartedly. She then quickly looked at Minnie and asked, "What actually _is_ a Heartseeker Guardian? I mean, I remember Yen Sid telling me that the Heartseeker was important to Kingdom Hearts and all but…what am I _supposed_ to be doing?"

Minnie became serious and she chose her words carefully. "Well, as you know, the Heartseeker embodies the light that comprises Kingdom Hearts. The wrong people would want to use the Heartseeker to abuse Kingdom Hearts and unleash darkness over all of the worlds. It is your responsibility as Guardian to protect the Heartseeker until you find the next one. It must always have a Guardian."

"Next! That means I can get rid of this?" Reina asked a little too excitedly, before she could catch herself. She flushed when Minnie frowned and said, "I was just wondering…"

Minnie sighed. "Yes, but it isn't easy, Reina." She paused to look intently into Reina's eager eyes. "Traditionally, the Heartseeker Guardian would choose a select few to train under their supervision and, after training, the Heartseeker is relinquished. Then, the Heartseeker itself would either choose to accept or reject the trainees and this process would continue until it finds a new guardian."

*_Then… How did __I__ get this thing?_* Reina thought, confused completely.

"But…there is another way." Minnie continued, now with a shadow over her expression. "If, by chance, the Guardian…_fails_ to protect the Heartseeker from an opponent, it assumes the opponent is the better Guardian and in turn chooses the victor."

"Fails to protect? You mean like…"

"If they were killed." Minnie finished, looking at Reina with a burning intensity. "Reina, it is important for you to understand this: If you lose the Heartseeker to anyone from the darkness, it will be near impossible to stop them bringing chaos to _all_ of the worlds. Darkness would swallow those worlds…"

Reina stopped listening as she paled. The emeralds in her eyes were shattered and lost into an ever growing void of fear and uncertainty that sprung up in her chest ever since she found out about being with the knot in her stomach prevented her from saying anything, and her mind was numb. _If she failed…_just the thought made her mouth dry.

The prospect of actually losing her life wasn't as nearly as terrifying to her as what would happen _after_. Entire _worlds_ would be swallowed by darkness. The Land of Dragons, Beast's Castle, Hollow Bastion, Twilight Town…_gone_. Lost. Never to return. All because of _her_ incapability as a Guardian.

If Reina felt burdened before, she was completely crushed now.

Looking at the teen's expression, Minnie cleared her throat uncomfortably. "However, the Heartseeker isn't like any other weapon. It has special powers we still aren't aware of, so train hard and utilize it to its fullest extent."

*_Train hard.._._yeah! There's no way I'm going to let that happen! I can do this! I can do this…_* Reina told this to herself several times and lead herself to believe it. She had to.

She took in a deep breath and tried to clear her mind, though one question was still nagging at her brain.

"Queen Minnie...who gave me the Heartseeker?"

It was Minnie's turn to look dumbfounded. "What?"

"Uh, like…How did I get this? It just appeared out of nowhere one day and I just realized that I never thought about _where _it came from."

Minnie avoided Reina's expectant eyes. "The Heartseeker has powers we aren't aware of." Was all she said when a cheery blue eyed brunette approached them.

"Hey Reina!" He greeted with a bright smile. He bowed quickly to Minnie and turned back to her excitedly. "Come see what Chip and Dale did to the Gummi Ship! You won't believe it!"

"Uh…" Reina turned to Minnie, who nodded. "What is it?"

"You have to _see_." Sora pointed down the hall. "Come on!"

"Let's go then." Reina mustered what she could to put on a smile. "Thank you, Your Highness." She quickly bowed and followed the near bouncing Sora down the hall and didn't look back.

Minnie looked at her anxiously.

* * *

"Geez Sora, can I open my eyes _now_?"

"Nope."

Sora led her down the newly renovated Gummi Ship, which was more than twice the size of what they originally had. They first entered the living room, which now had enough space for two sofas facing each other with a coffee table in between. The newly redone kitchen gleamed at them as they turned the corner towards the hall. Reina opened her eyes slightly.

"Hey, no peeking!"

"_Fine_." Reina huffed impatiently. After passing the doors to the trio's bedrooms, they stopped at a newly made door.

Sora swung it open and announced in a voice similar to the host from Hollow Bastion, "Ta-da! Here is your own room!"

Reina's eyelids flew up and she nearly jumped in excitement. The pale blue room was adorned with a small closet and shelves that held some of the things she brought with her. A small domed window was made to let light in and was only prevented from doing so by billowy curtains.

Finally, some privacy! Even though the guys probably didn't care, Reina was embarrassed to have them see her so early in the morning, most likely drooling from her sleep.

"Thank you so much!"

"No problem, I—"

"Stop right there, mister!" A squeaky voice told him. Chip and Dale both hopped onto the closet and looked at him sternly.

"Yeah, _we _were the ones who worked on this!" Chip scolded.

"Don't take all of the credit!" Dale added.

"Thank you so much, guys. Really." Reina told the furry duo, in awe that they were able to change the Ship so dramatically. She leaned forward and pecked the two on the head, and they seemed as if they were blushing shyly.

"No problem." Dale waved off.

"_Any_time." Chip sighed.

Reina chuckled at the two and fell onto the bed. She closed her eyes, letting the fluffy blanket fill her with content.

"Yeah, and I thought about it but no one ever mentions _that_…" Sora muttered, looking a little crossly at the two chipmunks.

"What was that?" She asked, sitting up.

"Uh- nothing." Sora said quickly. "There's a training room now too!"

Reina nearly jumped off of the bed. "What?"

"Yep! C'mon, we'll show ya!" Chip and Dale scurried out of the room and turned toward the Front. Reina's jaw dropped when she saw that the two managed to pull off a complete renewal of the cockpit. The Front was adorned by even more complex gadgets that beeped and blinked in every direction, and she spotted a three dimensional model of the Ship floating serenely. There were four comfortable chairs, surrounded by a bigger, clearer dome. The chipmunks turned to the side of the room and Reina was instantly taken by surprise.

There were now a set of narrow stairs winding upward to the second floor of the Gummi Ship. Reina turned to Sora with a sparkle in her eyes, who replied with an equally eager smile. The two skipped steps and raced to the opening that resembled an attic's and gasped.

"Wow…" Reina breathed.

She stared at the vast room in front of her, which was surely the size of all of the rooms on the first floor combined. A large, rectangular boundary line took the majority of the room, marking the training area.

"What's that?" Sora pointed to a large, blue computer-like machine towards the side of the room.

"It's a Heartless generator." Chip told them and Dale scurried towards it.

"It's a _what_?" Sora and Reina cried in unison.

"Don't worry, they're just illusions!" Dale told them, punching in buttons and pulling levers. A Shadow Heartless appeared in the middle of the training area, but faded as he punched in a few more buttons. It was became replaced by one of the bee-like Heartless from the Land of Dragons.

"We used Jiminy's journal to program some of the Heartless in here." Dale said, making the Heartless fade. "You guys can practice on Heartless seen throughout your travels."

"You guys are geniuses!" Reina praised and the two became bashful.

"All in a day's work." Dale said casually, trying to hide a proud grin.

"Yeah, we were just lucky to get these parts." Chip told them, stretching. He started towards the stairs. "I'm going to go get something to eat. Dale?"

"Right behind you!" Dale hopped off of the machine and followed Chip downstairs. "Don't mess anything up, Sora!"

"Why would you think that?" Sora yelled down the stairs, annoyed.

"'Cause you're Sora, duh." Reina teased and Sora crossed his arms, seething.

"Hm…this place is perfect for learning magic!" Reina smiled, making her fingers into a rectangle formation. "Donald better not have any more excuses…"

"Magic lessons?" Sora inquired and Reina nodded. "Count me in!"

"I thought you knew magic already." Reina pointed out, recalling a few stories of their battles. Sora didn't really rely on magical attacks and he didn't need to; He was skilled in using physical attacks for combat, which was a fighting style Reina coveted.

"You can never have enough practice." He grinned, putting his hands behind his head.

Reina crossed her arms and looked at him skeptically. "Uh-huh."

"What?" Sora asked defensively.

Reina shook her head with a smile and this made Sora even more alert.

"_Whaaat_?"

"Well…we _both_ know why you're taking magic lessons, right?" Reina stepped closer to him and Sora leaned away, feeling his face turn warm.

"Uh…I…um…"

She stepped away and turned her back to him, raising a finger to the sky.

"It's because you suck at them, don't you!"

"I…uh, what?"

"No wonder you never use magic attacks!" Reina said, as if she came to the end of a big mystery. *_Some people are better at one fighting style than the other…That's probably why__ I never see Goofy use any magic…Maybe it works in reverse too! Since I'm not the best in physical attacks, maybe I'm better off using magic!_*

A well of hope sprung up in Reina. She knew she wasn't the best at fighting Heartless and Nobodies compared to the trio but maybe learning a new type of offense would make her better equipped during combat. She dreamt of performing the magic Donald used and became oblivious to Sora, who was still trying to regain composure.

His heartbeat had returned to a normal pace, but he still couldn't get his mind wrapped around one thing: Why did he care if she found out he considered the magic lessons to spend more time with her? It was for training, of course. He definitely wanted to be in tip top shape and taking up lessons with her was the best idea, wasn't it? Besides, she would definitely make Donald's monotonous lectures more bearable.

Yeah, that was it.

The intercom announcement broke both of them from their thoughts as it loudly told them, "Ready for takeoff in thirty, I repeat, ready for takeoff in thirty! Hehe I love this thing…"

"Thirty minutes? We better go tell Donald and Goofy!" Reina exclaimed before she sped towards the exit. "Hurry up, Sora!"

"Yeah…be right there." Sora muttered after a pause, shaking his head.

* * *

"You had something to do with it, didn't you?"

Namine tensed, but she did her best not to show it. Instead, she tried to sound exasperated as she told Riku, "Like I told DiZ, I don't know why Roxas hasn't merged with Sora yet. Everything just might take longer than expected, and I really don't know anything beyond that."

"If anything happens to Sora because of them…" Riku started angrily, but then took a deep breath to clear his mind. He couldn't let anger overtake him now, he needed to keep his emotions in check and find Roxas the quickest way possible or else…

"How much longer would it take Sora to feel the effects of Roxas being gone?" The silver haired man asked, hoping that there was still ample time left. He had been engulfed in Darkness once and he wasn't going to let his best friend go through the same thing. _Especially_ at the hands of an Organization member.

His tone made magnified pit of guilt inside Namine. "I expect it to take a while. Sora's a strong person, and you know better than anyone that he won't give up easily. Maybe by that time, you can find Roxas and convince him to merge." She said positively, mostly to ease her own conscience.

"You wouldn't have any idea where Roxas would be, would you?" Riku asked.

Namine tensed again, knowing that he still doubted her. "I wish I could help you but I honestly have no idea." The words felt lighter on her tongue, and she felt a little bit better knowing that she told him at least one thing truthfully.

"I guess I'm on my own then." Riku said, crossing his arms. Namine turned around, unable to face him. "Tell me if you find out anything."

"Will do." Namine replied faintly. Riku disappeared along with wisps of darkness, but not before frowning toward the blond Nobody. Namine sunk into one of the wooden white chairs characteristic of the room around her. Scattered hand drawn pictures littered the table's surface. Namine eyed a smiling picture of Axel, Roxas, and Reina in Organization clothes and frowned.

Axel. It was his entire fault; he was the reason she had the uncomfortable feeling of guilt attached to her. His promise was to blame, to be more specific. As much as she wanted to go back on it, memories of their promise and Axel's pleading pinched at her conscience once again. She didn't know what to do since either way, something bad was going to happen to someone and it was going to her fault.

*_What have I gotten myself into_?*

* * *

"You have to _what_ again?"

Chip and Dale both slapped their paws onto their faces in frustration as both Donald and Goofy looked at the machine in the training room with utter bewilderment. Once they finished touring the Ship, Reina and Sora persuaded Donald and Goofy to learn how to use the machine since the chipmunks would usually be busy with keeping the Gummi Ship in good condition. They wouldn't have asked, but once Chip and Dale started giving over complicated instructions Sora decided it would be best to leave it to someone else.

"We're never going to learn magic here." Reina groaned disappointedly.

"Well we could probably get Donald to teach us at the place we're headed." Sora said, also eyeing a frustrated Donald warily.

"Where are we going?"

A proud grin filled Sora's face he told her, "Olympus Coliseum."

"Hey, I remember that! Isn't that where you guys competed in a tournament or something?"

"Yeah, _and_ we won. And beat an Underworld god. We're considered _heroes_ there." Sora gloated haughtily and Reina bit her lip, wishing she could say the same.

"You think there might be one when we get there?" Reina asked with interest.

"Yeah, maybe…" Sora muttered, disappointed that he didn't receive the reaction he was expecting.

"Let's go then! It'll be fun." Reina suggested, though she was more eager at the prospect of training than actually competing in the tournament. Ever since she talked to Minnie, becoming a better fighter became her priority and the idea of her losing the Heartseeker added extra pressure.

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea. We could win the cups twice!" Sora's eyes sparkled at the thought of winning again. He looked at Donald and Goofy, who at this time were at the edge of giving up. "Hey, guys!"

"What?" They snapped in unison.

"I guess I'll just ask you guys later…" Sora backed off and headed for cover and Reina was sensible enough to follow suit.

When they were at the bottom of the stairs, Sora listened closely and said, "Wait for it…there!"

On cue, Donald's completely agitated voice echoed down. "That's it! I quit!" The angry duck stormed down the stairs, his feathers completely ruffled. "You guys are going have to do this yourselves!"

Not long after, an uncharacteristically annoyed Goofy followed with the exhausted chipmunks in tow. He muttered that he did his best and proceeded to the kitchen to make something that would compensate for his frustration.

"We're never going to use that thing." Reina said disappointedly, looking up the stairs.

"Well, yknow…" Sora started. "_We _could—ah!"

The ship lurched and filled the Front with light, which could have only meant one thing.

"We're here!" Reina cheered, looking outside to catch the first glimpse of Olympus Coliseum. As soon as she laid eyes on an ominous, cave-like surrounding. The purple tinged stone of the walls were illuminated by bright blue torches that marked the path to even more foreboding entryway. This place scared Reina, and not because it seemed intimidating, but because she felt a sense of darkness settle in this place.

"Are you sure we were going to Olympus Coliseum?" Reina asked and Sora looked at one of the maps of the dashboard.

"Yeah, this is the place…" Sora replied, also looking confused. "I think we overshot it by a bit."

"Let's just try to get out of here." Reina said, looking outside with a shiver. "This place creeps me out."

* * *

"There it is!"

Goofy pointed to a golden staircase that led to a much brighter, more inviting place above.

"Huh. Wonder how we missed that." Sora said, scratching his head.

"Doesn't matter, let's just…" Reina froze midway when she glanced back at the entryway. Before he disappeared in a flash of darkness, a blue eyed man with dirty blond hair waved at her quickly with a familiar smile. Reina fixated her gaze at the spot and didn't notice she was standing there until Donald snapped her out of it.

"What happened? Let's get a move on!" He told her, following Goofy and Sora, who were already climbing the staircase.

"Uh, sure." Reina muttered, sneaking a glimpse back at the spot. He wasn't there anymore, but she had a feeling that wasn't the last she'd see of him.

* * *

_**Author's** **Note!**_

This chapter was originally going to be much longer, (4,500+ words!) but I had to cut off a huge chunk of it and move it to the next one. I'll try to update as soon as I can, but that depends on whether or not I have wi-fi because I'm going on a vacay starting tomorrow ^^;;

I hope I got the responsibilities of the Heartseeker Guardian down, since I'm planning to show how it'll affect Reina in the long run. Except for the "How she got it" question though, since that'll be left unanswered for a while (a _looong_ while xD). Just keep in mind it has to do with her dad, though. Namine's conflict with her conscience was also something important since it has a lot to do with Axel and his own agenda. (Hmmm...)

Speaking of conflicts...

Sora's at odds with his feelings! Any ideas on how he's going to deal with it? Any other comments or questions? Make sure to let me know! ^^

~narcotic-lullaby

(p.s Thank you **Akizakura****202** for the help sooooo much!)


	11. The Farplane

**Recap:** Reina learns the responsibilities of being a Heartseeker Guardian through Queen Minnie, which are much more than what she expected. Then along with Sora, she finds that the Gummi Ship has been remodeled, complete with her own room and a new training room. After a struggle with the new Heartless generator, the four finally land at Olympus Colesium.

* * *

"Fi…finally. We're here!" Reina panted as the four finally reached the top of the golden staircase that led them to Olympus Coliseum and away from the foreboding cave the Gummi Ship was parked in. But before she could even lay eyes on the infamous arena Sora told her about, she knew something was wrong.

Sounds of frantic screaming erupted from the arena as people of all ages poured from the golden gates of the Coliseum to gates that lead to the town, and it was easy to see what they were escaping from. A large lizard-like monster towered over the arena, its several snake like necks attached to heads adorned with sharp fangs. Darting between the heads was a young man on Pegasus, who the trio recognized instantly.

"It's Hercules!" Goofy cried.

Without another word, the four darted past the rushing crowd into the building. Dust flew everywhere as one of the heads fell onto the arena, adding to the mess of stone debris everywhere. One of the hydra's heads made a deafening screech as it spotted the four take out their weapons and charge to help Hercules.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

A short, distraught satyr blocked their way as Hercules took care of the head that was aiming for them.

"What's going on, Phil?" Sora asked, worriedly eyeing the hydra.

"Mega trouble! I mean huge! We need your help!" Phil jumped. "Hades sent _this_ to the arena just now! The Olympus Stone was missing and _now_ Herc's friend Meg is missing!"

"Missing?" Donald repeated. "Where did she go?"

"She disappeared into some black smoke with this crazy robed guy!"He told them as the four gasped in unison. "I told her not to get wrapped up in this Hades business…"

"Organization XIII…" Reina whispered. *_But why would they do that?_*

"They're here too?" Donald stomped.

"Right now Herc's planning to get her right after he finishes this thing off." Phil said, glancing back anxiously. "I don't think he can take this thing _and_ go to the Underworld without a break. You guys need to go get Meg, or else he'll break down from everything that's been going on!"

"Do you know where they could've went?" Sora asked.

"I'm pretty sure she's in Hades' lair down deep into the Underworld, over there." Phil pointed to where they just came from. Reina suppressed a groan.

"Dontcha worry, we'll be back in no time!" Goofy assured.

"Don't spend too much time down there. The Underworld does funny things to ya." Phil said, shuddering. "Just find Meg and get back, stat!"

"Right!" Sora nodded, just as another head fell. "Let's go!"

* * *

"There's a lock…"

The four stood at the torch lit entrance to the Underworld, which wasn't at all inviting. Blue flames made the jagged stones adorning the doorway look like fangs protecting the door, though Reina had no clue on who would want to visit anyways.

"I can probably open it." Sora said, summoning the Keyblade. He pointed the weapon at the keyhole and a single beam of light hit the center. An unlocking sound rang through the air as the doors slid open. A cold wind hit them, surrounding them with a lingering frost that sent shivers up their spines. Darkness greeted them and they all stared into its void hesitantly.

"Let's go." Sora said gravely, walking toward the entrance.

* * *

The rustling of cloth was the predominant sound in the god of the Underworld's lair as the blue skinned deity paced back and forth, waiting for the perfect news. Pete stood as frightened company on orders from Maleficent, his large eyes constantly scanning the lair. A blond haired young man was leaning against the wall, tossing a golden medallion into the air embossed with a bolt of lightning.

A weakened Hercules was all he needed to get that fat cat to turn him into a Heartless…then _no one_ would stop him from ruling this world. Just one thorn on the road and the whole world was his! The plan worked out perfectly too; Blondie was able to steal the Olympus Stone and grab bait and then Fatso would turn him into a Heartless when he showed up (He would probably be half dead without the Olympus Stone anyways). Fatso would be getting another Heartless in return and Blondie…well, Hades didn't actually know what he wanted, but as long as he got his way, he didn't care.

But where _were_ those two numskulls of his?

"Why haven't they come back yet!" Hades vented, his normally azure flames turning slightly orange.

"Calm down, hot stuff." The man said coolly, not looking in his direction. "They'll be here any minute."

"_Don't_ tell me to calm down!" Hades burst, now turning red. "I am the god of the Underworld! I can turn you into a flaming dishrag right now, if I wanted to!"

The man faced him with an expression of mock hurt. "You're so mean! _Especially_ when this dishrag is the only reason your plan can work. Face it, you couldn't have done it without me."

Hades reverted back to his normal blue flames, but not before throwing the young man a look of contempt. To ease the tension in the room the two small demons appeared, looking slightly worried.

"Well, what is it? Is _Wonderboy_ here to save his sweet little Nutmeg yet?" Hades asked with a haughty smirk. His lips fell when the two continued to tremble.

"Well, your Highest Evilness uh…em…" The thinner of the two started, but then elbowed the shorter for him to continue.

The shorter glared at the taller and said, "The door to the Underworld has been opened, at least but…it isn't who you expected."

"Who is-" Hades started but then stepped back, wide eyed. "Don't tell me it's that key brat with his stupid pets!"

"There's a girl with him too." The thinner added, though it didn't help Hades' temper at all. The Nobody, however, smirked.

"Well whaddya know? I guess your '_fail proof_ plan' wasn't so perfect after all." The young man taunted, facing him. Hades swung around, turning bright red.

"I did what I had to do." He continued, relishing the way Hades glared at him. He didn't like the hot head all; he thought he was a little meaner than necessary. "Now you're on your own. Good luck!" He added sarcastically, before disappearing into a portal of darkness.

Hades threw a fireball where the Organization member vanished, and then let out a scream. Pete and the two demons cowered behind a fanged statue together, wide eyed at Hades' rage.

"No, no, keep your calm…" the god repeated, massaging his temples. "All I need to do is get rid of that brat and his posse and the plan will be back up and running as smooth as Styx."

"Hey…" Pete announced in a quiet voice. Hades rounded on him and he gulped. "Why don't you choose someone already dead and save yourself the trouble?"

Hades' expression changed and Pete let out a sigh of relief seeing blue on his head again. "Dead? Dead is good! And I know just the warrior…"

* * *

"This place is way too dark!" Donald grumbled, his voice echoing across the dimly lit cave they were in. Their only source of light were several orbs of light floating around the cave, though seeing the cave didn't help their situation by much either. The cave often split up into different puddle laden paths that either brought them to a dead end or to a full circle. The more time they spent there, the worse it was. The cave radiated an eerie feeling and made them feel as if a magical weight had been placed on them, making the even the simple task of walking look slightly more difficult.

"Maybe we can light up Reina like a flashlight." Sora teased, referring to how she reacted when she touched the Cornerstone.

"Hey!" Reina swatted Sora as the trio chuckled. But his amusement stopped abruptly when he started coughing out of nowhere.

"Are you okay?" Reina asked.

"Yeah, it was just a little cough." Sora waved off.

"Are you sure?" Donald pressed, looking a little anxious. His training as a healer enabled him to recognize signs of sickness, and Sora's cough sounded like one of the first signs.

"Yeah, it's no big deal." Sora smiled as they trudged on to another fork.

"Not _another_ one." Goofy said, frowning at the cave.

"Which way?" Sora asked the other three, who all pointed randomly to different directions.

"Donald, there's a wall there!" Sora told him with a smirk.

"Well, you can't blame me!" the duck stomped angrily. "I can't see!"

"Really? Is _this_ the crowd you replace us with?" A bodiless voice echoed throughout the room, making the four spin around in confusion. A dark portal appeared between the fork in the path, and out stepped the same blond haired man Reina saw when they first reached Olympus Coliseum.

Reina's body tensed and her eyes widened, quickly glancing at the other three.

"Not _another_ one of you." Sora crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at the Nobody.

The blond pouted. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"You guys are crazy." Donald laughed, crossing his eyes.

"Downright cuckoo." Goofy added, making circles around his head with his head with his fingers.

"Hey!" He frowned, turning to Reina. "Why don't you tell them anything?"

Reina gazed at him with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. Who was he? He seemed so familiar…but she couldn't pinpoint any details about him. For all she knew, he could be trying to trick her. She looked at his pleading face once again and started to doubt he would wish her any harm…

"He's just trying to psych us out." Sora growled, taking out the Keyblade. "You guys never give up, do you?"

"I'm not." He said, this time his lips pulled into a sincere frown, looking at Reina earnestly. "You seriously don't remember?"

Reina felt like someone placed something in her throat when she asked, "Remember what?"

"Me!" He exclaimed loudly. When Reina continued to stare at him wordlessly, he sighed and crouched into a battle stance. A light smile lifted his face when he told her, "Maybe some _sparring_ will remind you."

With a simple wave of his hand, three other clones made up of the puddles on the ground formed, imitating him. A blue sitar formed in his hand and he started playing it, making the clones dance like Dusk Nobodies. "Dance water, dance!" he yelled, and musical notes appeared from the same puddles, lunging at the trio. Reina was left to deal with the Organization member, but even as she took out the Heartseeker, he mind was somewhere else.

*_Who is he?_* She looked at him again, the smile still on his face as he swung his sitar toward her, making jets of water fly in that direction. She barely noticed in time and couldn't prepare for them when they turned into shards of ice, causing one of them to graze her. A warm sensation radiated on her left arm but she didn't pay attention to it, facing the man with a glare.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, looking honestly concerned. This threw Reina off and she looked at him peculiarly as he went on, saying, "C'mon, I thought you were better than _that_."

"Who are you?" Reina asked, grasping the Heartseeker tightly in her right hand; the pain on her left arm grew substantially.

The man waved a finger at her, grinning. "Nu-uh, not so easily! I'm not going to tell you anything. _You_ have to remember!" He waved his hand again, and more musical notes rose from the ground, occupying the trio. The Nobody turned to the sitar and played a few notes. A wave of water flew at her and out of reflex, Reina flipped backwards with her left hand. Mid-flip, she collapsed and the pain in her left arm blazed.

"Ugh…" Reina clutched the injury. She heard footsteps and looked up to see the man smiling, stretching his hand out to her. When she blinked it was as if someone forced her eyes shut and made her watch a flurry of colors and flashes of scenes…

*_A silver haired man was stretching out his hand to me._

_I heard myself saying, 'It's you!'_

_Then…_

_A girl with short black hair was pointing at my heart._

'_Don't forget us!'_

_I was with Roxas on top of a building._

'_Someday, we'll go wherever we want, whenever we want!'_

_Axel ruffled my hair with a smile._

'_Got it memorized, kid?'_

_Then…_

_I was looking up at the blonde, as he smiled brightly at me. He outstretched his hand to me._

'_Hey, that was pretty good!'_

'_Thanks, Demyx…'_*

"Demyx…?" Reina repeated, opening her eyes. She looked up to see Demyx's face lifted up into an expression of complete happiness.

"Hey, you do remem—" He was cut off midsentence when Donald threw a fire spell at him, causing him to cry out in pain. Goofy and Sora went on either side of Reina, and Donald stepped in front of her, forming a protective barrier. Sora did a double take at Reina's injury and then glared fiercely at Demyx, his eyes alight.

"Well that's just plain rude." Demyx said in the same childish tone, but this time his eyes were completely emotionless. As he stepped back he raised both hands and the sitar hovered in front of him, spinning quickly. A torrent of water formed behind him, circling together into a tornado. Sora gritted his teeth.

"Wait!" Reina stood and pushed past Donald and Goofy. Demyx lowered his hands and looked at her expectantly while the trio shared expressions of surprise. "Don't hurt them!"

The storm faded. He crossed his arms and he asked, "And exactly _why_ shouldn't I? They're the ones—"

"Please?" Reina cut off, appealing to him with her eyes. Sora moved past her and glowered at the Organization member. "You don't need to ask _him_ for anything! We can take him!"

Demyx paired the trio's uniform glare with his expressionless gaze, but sighed when Reina continued to regard him with the same look. He shook his head.

"Fine." He then grinned. "You still owe me a sea salt ice cream, don't forget that! See you later, Reina!"

He waved at her, and then disappeared into a haze of darkness. Reina looked down, a thousand thoughts attacking her brain at once. Another member of the Organization…another one she didn't remember. How many things _didn't_ she remember? How much time did she spend with the Organization anyways? And why, _why in the world_ couldn't she remember any of it!

She snapped out of it when the trio faced her, examining her wound.

"Are ya okay, Reina?" Goofy asked, looking at her arm. She looked down and to see a bright red gash, streaming blood.

"I'm…alright. I'm fine." She said, though she grimaced at the streaking crimson lines. She looked away immediately. The more she looked at it, the more it hurt.

"You shouldn't have told him to stop." Sora grumbled. "We could've got him back!"

"I can't believe he actually listened." Goofy said thoughtfully. "It sounds like he cares for you, Reina."

"Does it?" Reina asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "Um, that would be…weird, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, unless he knew you or somethin'." Goofy went on.

Sora said, "He's just trying to trick us, that's all. They're from Organization XIII! They'll probably do anything to confuse us."

Reina thought immediately of the memory she saw of Demyx and disagreed silently. Goofy nodded, while Donald examined the gash. He waved his wand and green charms fell over the wound, closing it.

"There. That'll stop the bleeding. We'll still have to put the ointment when we get back to the Gummi Ship though." Donald told her.

"Why? I'm fine, I don't need that stuff!" Reina frowned.

"Are you the healer or me?" Donald put his hands on his hips. "You need it for it to heal completely!"

Reina's shoulders drooped. "But it hurts!"

"_I _can put it on for you." Sora laughed, causing Donald and Goofy to join in when they remembered the horrendous make up job he did instead of treating her wounds.

"Shut up! I still need to get you back for that!" She said, though a smile played on her lips.

"And for making you sit at that water game back at Hollow Bastion too!" Sora added with a satisfied smile as he continued down the cave with Donald and Goofy.

"Hey, I forgot about that!" Reina said. She tried to seem mad when she said, "Thanks for reminding me."

Sora put his hands behind his head as he smiled contentedly. "No problem!"

* * *

"Let's cut to the chase."

Hades faced one of his "warriors"—the soul of a tough, unsmiling man who couldn't rest completely due to a regret he was unable to atone for during his lifetime. The man regarded Hades with disgust, but he didn't let it show as his eyes patiently followed the pacing deity.

"Here's the deal I'm going to offer you. I let you out of the slammer for one little job." Hades grinned. "I need you to find and take down these three stooges," Hades snapped his fingers and small images of Sora, Donald, and Goofy appeared in his palm. The man glanced at them and Hades crushed the images in his fist. "You'll be as free as a bird, no strings attached."

"The Lord of the Underworld wants me to kill a boy, a duck, and a dog?" the man sneered and Hades growled at him.

"Don't question me!"

The man shook his head. "This is _my _story. And you're not part of it."

"Did you _forget_ who you're talking to?" Hades yelled. "_I_ am the Lord of the Dead!"

The man smirked. "No wonder no one wants to die."

Hades turned bright red and threw a ball of fire at him, but the man skillfully blocked it with his katana. He then quickly swung at Hades, who fell back, dazed. Pete tried to advance at him, but drew back in fear when the man simply looked at him. The warrior shook his head and ran off.

"Do something or else you'll have one less life to worry about!" Hades screamed in rage.

"R-right!" Pete trembled. He conjured Heartless. "Go get him you nitwits!"

* * *

A loud thud echoed throughout the cave.

"Donald…" Goofy started laughing. "Did you fall down?"

Sora and Reina saw the duck face down on the floor in the dim lighting, beak full of puddle water. Sounds of raucous laughter filled the cave as Donald jolted up, face blazing red.

"I tripped!" He yelled, jumping up and down in frustration. "This place is too dark!"

Then as if to help Donald, a bigger, brighter orb of light with an opalescent trail floated serenely into one of the entrances and vanished into the darkness. A few more of the same type of lights followed it, and the four looked up to see that they were coming from a huge hole in the cave above them. As spell binding as they looked, there was something repulsive about them. Reina shivered as she continued to see the lights migrate down one of the cave entrances, making sure she was far out of their way.

"I think we should go that way." Goofy said, pointing to where the lights were headed.

"What? Why?" Reina asked, alarmed. "Who knows where they're going to!"

"They're our only source of light right now." Sora said, though he wasn't too pleased about following the lights either. "Going into the dark would probably be worse."

Reina groaned as she followed them into the entrance, continuing to avoid touching any of them. The four walked in silence for a few minutes, staring at the caravan of lights until they heard sharp breathing echoing from further down the cave.

"What was that?" Sora asked, wiping his forehead of a little sweat. All this walking was making him unusually tired.

"Sounds like a person's hurt." Goofy replied.

They rushed to find a man slumped against the wall of the cave, looking exhausted. He attempted to get up but collapsed again, breathing heavily.

"Let's help him." Sora said immediately, and Donald went first, extracting a potion. As the healer tended to him, Reina curiously followed where the lights were going. They floated silently over a beaten wooden bridge to a raised stone platform. The lights congregated towards the staircase in the middle of the stage and sunk into its depths. The platform itself was raised over a pool of glowing green water that resembled acid, daring anyone to follow the lights.

When the man was healed, he stood up, towering over the four. He wore a traditional get up, from a blood red robe and wooden sandals all the way to the large katana he was carrying. He kept one hand in a sling and had a large scar over one side of his face, resulting in one eye to be shut. He glanced at the group from his good eye and said, "My name is Auron. It seems that we were fated to meet."

"I'm Sora." The brunette smiled forcedly, though it lacked his usual outgoing charm.

"Donald!" the royal wizard waved.

"Goofy. Nice to meet ya!" said knight said with smile.

"And I'm Reina." Said girl looked back at the platform, and couldn't help asking, "Do you know what that is?"

"The entrance to the Farplane." Auron replied, also facing the platform.

"The…sorry, what?"

"The Farplane." Auron repeated, looking at Reina. "A gathering place for the spirits of the dead. At least, for those who have accepted death."

The four stared at him, getting goose bumps. "Those desperate enough to enter it will be reunited with their memory of the dead."

Donald started inching away from him towards the other end of the cave fearfully.

"So…those are _souls_?" Reina pressed, pointing to the drifting orbs of light. Donald froze when one of the lights passed by him. He turned around screaming, running the other way. Goofy pulled him by his collar, making him flail in one place.

"Yes." Auron said, glancing at Donald. Reina opened her mouth to ask another question, but stopped when Sora coughed heavily.

"Geez that sounded bad." Reina said with concern. "Do you want to rest?"

Sora shook his head, steadying himself. "No, let's just get Meg and get outta here as soon as possible."

"Uh, excuse me, Auron sir but can ya tell us how to get to Hades' lair?" Goofy asked.

Auron thought for a moment and said, "Follow me, I'll show you where it is."

"Thanks!" Reina said with relief, thinking about the twisted and confusing paths they'll avoid.

He waved his free hand. "I'm just repaying your debt."

A moment of silence followed, and questions filled Reina's mind. Every time she looked at Auron, she became intimidated and then suppressed the question. This happened so often that he finally asked, "What is it?"

Not needing to be told twice, Reina immediately asked, "What exactly happens at the Farplane? How can you be reunited with our memories…of the dead?"

"I don't know myself. All I've heard was that when you are there and you think of someone who has passed away, you see them. They're not the dead themselves, just images of them."

Reina's throat went dry. If the Farplane could show her the dead then maybe…she was adopted, after all. She quickly erased that thought from her mind.

*_What's the point anyways?_* She thought, staring at the staircase where the lights descended. *_Right. No point at all..._* She glanced back at the lights.

"Can anyone visit the Farplane?"

"Yes." Auron replied, not looking at her.

"Have _you_ visited to the Farplane?" Reina went on.

Auron chuckled dryly. "No, not yet."

Reina raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"

Auron looked at her, his eyebrow also raised and Reina instantly became embarrassed, realizing that it was a personal question.

"Sorry." She muttered.

Reina heard Sora cough behind her and she turned to him, worried.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest?" Donald asked anxiously, handing him a potion. He had never seen Sora become ill so rapidly, and getting so sick right before confronting Hades was not the best combination of occurrences.

"You should get out of this place as soon as possible." Auron told them, still looking ahead. "The longer you stay here, the worse it is for you."

"I wonder why the Underworld's magic isn't affecting us as much as Sora…" Goofy thought aloud.

"Maybe Sora's just _delicate_." Reina said haughtily.

Sora almost choked on the potion. "Really? _Delicate? _That's the best you can do?"

"Well…" Reina was taken aback when she didn't get the expected response. "Shut up, this place is messing with my head! I'll think of a better insult to get you back later."

"_What_ever." Sora grinned, draining the potion. Even though the potion refreshed him, he knew the effect would wear off very soon. Sora also wondered…why weren't the others weakened like he was? He answered the question as soon as he asked himself, though he was scared to admit it to himself.

There was something wrong with him.

Really, really wrong.

* * *

_*Sixty eight percent_.*

DiZ narrowed his eyes at the screen.

*_Seventy eight completion to sixty eight._

_How…?_*

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

FINALLY DONE. This was harder and took way longer than it should have because I…sorta…rewrote the whole thing while I was in the middle of writing it because I hated the beginning. Dx I'm feeling uninspired to write lately too, but I pulled through for this one! (I better have, this thing was getting on my nerves)x Writing is haaaaaard. I may have rushed through it…

The Demyx part was much longer than it should have been…because of that I'm going to put the last bit in the next chapter Dx It's important though, especially since it has a certain _someone_ she was supposed to forget. *_wink wink* _xD There's still a lot to remember~

The Farplane! Definitely something important, though it probably won't play a big role until their second visit to Olympus Coliseum. (But my favorite part because it's from Final Fantasy X and I looooove that game so much :D)

Last but not least, there's Sora's health problems…what do _you _think they lead up to? (I know you know, **Akizakura202**! xD)

Any ideas on Reina's flashback? Thoughts on the Farplane? Comments, questions? Make sure to let me know!

~narcotic-lullaby


	12. Last Wish

**Recap:** The four are sent to find Hercules' friend Meg when he is preoccupied with holding off a monster Hades sent to Olympus Coliseum. They encounter Demyx and Auron in the Underworld, and learn about the Farplane. The Underworld's magic affected Sora more than the others; he starts to fall ill there.

* * *

Activity in the usually desolate prison of Hades' lair made Meg turn her amethyst eyes up in hope. Her face quickly contorted to disgust when she saw it was a familiar haze of black smoke.

"What do _you_ want?" She grumbled, jerking her head to remove a strand of wavy auburn hair from her face. She smirked when Hades didn't reply, pacing from one end of the dungeon to the other in clear anxiety.

"Aw, did Wonderboy rain on your parade?" She taunted. He rounded on her, his flames automatically turning bright orange. She chuckled, reveling in his anger. "_Again_?"

"I am in a really, _really_ bad mood." Hades growled each word with a step towards her. "So _don't_ test me, little girl!" Spurts of flame danced around him, and she glared with an equally furious fire in her eyes.

Suddenly, Pete crawled into the room, breathing heavily. He opened his mouth to say something, but a blur of blue and white loudly jumped on him and knocked him unconscious. "The rescue team has arrived!"

Sora, Goofy, Reina, and Auron stormed into the dungeon, already in battle stances. Hades looked from the fallen Pete to the other four and screeched, "Get them, you big dunce!"

Auron and Goofy rushed forward and prevented Hades from lunging at the group, giving Sora, Donald, and Reina enough time to free Meg from the complicated chains that bound her. Suddenly, the cave started to rumble violently, as if they were next to the cause of the earthquake.

"Get out of here!" Auron grunted, striking the enraged Hades to make him fall back from lunging at Meg, Sora, and Reina.

"But what about—" Sora started, relaxing the Keyblade.

"Consider my debt repaid." Auron mumbled, shielding the group from a meteor. "Go! Now!"

Reluctantly, Sora nodded and beckoned the group to follow him out of the cave. They ran precariously past the ledge across from the Farplane, navigated through the familiar, twisting paths of the Underworld and finally sighed with relief seeing the exit and the Gummi Ship beyond it. As soon as they crossed the threshold away from the Underworld, Reina felt completeness wash over her, as if she were finally whole again. Donald, Goofy, and Meg felt similar waves of relief and they broke into grateful smiles, especially after seeing the golden staircase that led to the Coliseum. However, Sora didn't feel as liberated as the others.

The same sickly feeling thrived like a ghost haunting him. He tried to convince himself that he really might be catching a cold and pushed the small, nagging voice that reminded him, "_This is the same way I felt when I became a Heartless._"

He kept his head down in thought and spotted a golden medallion with a bolt of lightning embossed on it.

"The Olympus Stone!" Meg cried in relief, seeing the stone. "It protects you from the Underworld's curse." She carefully took the stone from Sora and examined it.

"Big help it is now." Donald grumbled, crossing his arms.

"But it does have special healing powers that Herc…" They all looked up, hearing a faint roar from the Coliseum above.

"We should hurry." Reina said worriedly. Sounds from the hydra grew louder as the group marched up the stairs, but as soon as they crossed the threshold to the Coliseum, the noise stopped.

"Oh no…"

The once proud standing Coliseum was torn apart, completely unrecognizable. Debris was strewn everywhere. The previously intimidating golden soldier statues that guarded the Coliseum were now feeble representations of what was once there. A young man stepped through the rubble, his well toned body slumping from fatigue fighting the hydra. Phil followed him with sorrow in his eyes at the sight of his precious Coliseum.

"Herc!" Meg cried, rushing to his aid. His watery eyes looked up in relief from behind messy orange brown curls matted with dust and sweat. They embraced tightly, comforted in each other's arms.

"I failed…" Hercules muttered in depression.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Meg assured him. "Even a god would be exhausted."

"She's right. Give yourself a chance to rest." Sora said with a smile and Hercules faced the group for the first time.

"How can I ever thank you all?" He said, feeling full of indebtedness. "I can't even imagine…"

"It's no big deal." Goofy waved off. "Just let us know if Hades or the Heartless is actin' up again, okay?"

"That's what heroes are for!" Donald stuck out his chest proudly.

"_Junior _heroes, Donald. Junior." Reina added teasingly.

Meg's eyes turned to the chuckling teen. "I apologize for my manners; everything happened so fast, I didn't even get the time to introduce myself! I'm Meg."

She extended her hand and introductions were going around when the Olympus Stone in Meg's hand started to glow brightly and rise into the air. The Heartseeker appeared with a bright beam connecting it to the Stone and Reina nodded to Sora. A large Keyhole materialized where the Olympus Stone was, and he summoned the Keyblade to lock it, making a dry clicking sound echo onto the hollowed out Coliseum.

"Looks like it's time to leave." Goofy said.

"You're welcome to visit whenever you want." Hercules told the group.

"No!" Phil interjected. "We'll call you guys back when the Coliseum is rebuilt and the games are on again!" He turned to the ruins and proudly said, "I can already imagine it in my head! It'll be better than before, bigger than any tournament Thebes has ever seen!"

Meg rolled her eyes at the satyr. "We hope you come back soon." She said warmly.

Sora smiled brightly. "Watch out for us! We're coming back as heroes!"

"Watch out there, junior. You still have a long way to go." Hercules chimed in, the disappointment in seeing the Coliseum ruined fading away.

"We will!" Donald insisted.

"We'll prove it in the next Tournament!" Sora added.

Hercules laughed good-naturedly. "We'll have to wait and see then."

"We will." Sora agreed. "See you guys next time!"

The group waved their goodbyes and turned towards the exit in good spirits. Even Sora seemed to push the instinctual voice behind him, unaware of the hollow darkness that was growing inside him.

* * *

It was a regular blistery day on the streets of Agrabah, and the two Organization members entering the world's main bazaar were melting in the heat. Their hoods were up, completely blocking their faces from view.

"A most disagreeable climate…" The taller of the two muttered in a peculiar accent, tugging on his Organization uniform uncomfortably. "Of all places that…_thing_ had to end up here."

"Will you stop complaining, 10? The sooner we find the Heartless the sooner we can get out of here." The shorter replied, not looking at him.

Number 10 made a sound of annoyance. "We should at least—" He made a motion to remove his hood and the shorter rounded on him.

"You _know _why we can't show our faces, don't you?" The shorter said scathingly. "If Reina shows up, she might recognize us."

"Thank you for reminding me, Saix." Number 10 replied sarcastically. "What _ever _would I do without you?" He fixed his hood back in place roughly.

Saix turned away from him coolly and continued walking with 10 reluctantly behind him.

"Time to meet Yuuta once again…"

* * *

A shrill buzz echoed in the Gummi Ship's training room, marking the beginning of Sora and Reina's first magic training session. Two Shadow illusions appeared in the middle of the ring, observed by Donald and Goofy out of the ring's protective boundaries.

"I'll go first!" Sora announced determinedly. The two were happy to finally escape the Royal Wizard's monotonous lecture which was made chiefly his own accomplishments as a magician rather than information on their first spell, Fire.

"Watch how it's done." He said confidently to Reina, who just rolled her eyes amusedly. "Fire!"

The tip of his Keyblade blazed alight with a faint flame, which he quickly threw at the Shadow Heartless. The flame went right through the illusion and melted into the protective barrier. Although the Shadow Heartless faded, it wasn't completely gone. Chip and Dale programmed each illusion to disappear when sufficient damage was done to it, and Sora frowned at the lingering figure.

"You still need more practice!" Donald admonished. "Don't you remember anything from last time?"

Sora glared at the duck and mumbled something under his breath to which Reina laughed.

"Hey, no laughing!" Donald jumped up and down. "Reina! Go!"

"Alright…" She shuffled toward her Heartless. Raising the Heartseeker, she thought of the incantation for fire and a burst of warmth spread from her chest to her fingertips. A cozy, tingling sensation stirred inside of her and bringing the spell to her lips made the Heartseeker feel like an extended part of her arm rather than a separate object.

"Fire!" A burst of flame ejected from the tip of the Heartseeker, evaporating the illusion completely. *_Wow…_* Reina thought, looking amazed, *_I can do that?!_*

She spun to look at Sora smugly. "You were _saying_?"

"Whatever." He raised his hands behind his head and yawned lazily. "Magic is stupid anyways."

"Hey!" Donald growled. "Take that back nut head!"

Reina laughed playfully, not noticing his sour expression. "Aw, _jealous _are we?"

Sora snorted irritably. "Yeah, of course, of the _queen_." Reina's smile faded slightly. He looked away from her.

"Just kid—"

"This is such a waste of time." He yawned again, forcefully. "I'm heading to bed."

Ignoring the voices that called him back, he quickly turned out of the room and marched down the stairs into the Front. He staggered to his room and kicked off his shoes aggressively. Sinking into the cold, open comforters of his bed, he struggled to calm his mind.

Sora's brain was throbbing and blood pounded in his ears as if a parade was marching inside his head. A surge of energy surged through his body, coming straight from his heart. He paled at the familiar sensation it caused.

He was reminded of darkness in that moment he stood across the illusion. Hollow, _lonely_ darkness. It was a Shadow Heartless that he'd taken form of when he'd opened his heart for Kairi and his incompetency of being able to destroy the physical representation of that fear did nothing to lessen the internal reminder that spawned ever since he entered the Underworld. He'd started tasting the numb sensation of darkness already and the idea of losing his heart to it scared him. He'd have no control over himself; He'd hurt the people he cared for, he'd lose them, he'd become a pawn that would lead to their downfall. He'd just become an empty vassal that would soon fade at the hands of someone probably more worthy of the Keyblade of him. He wouldn't be the hero anymore, he'd be the villain.

*_No_.* Sora thought indignantly at his moment of weakness. *_I'd never let that happen again. Things were different back then, and they're different now. Like I'd let darkness take over me! I'll just beat it like last time! This is nothing!_*

The momentum of his positive energy fell short when he heard Reina's voice outside the door. "Sora…?"

He didn't reply. He quickly rolled over onto his sheets to make it look like he was sleeping. There was a pit of guilt in his stomach when he remembered the way he acted and his face flushed with embarrassment. He turned to the door. *_I'll apologize next time I see them._*

"Sora?"

He didn't budge, still feeling mortified.

There was a shuffle outside and then a louder, more annoyed voice yelled, "On a count of 3! I'm going to knock this door down! One…two…ahhhh!"

Sora quickly opened the door and Donald burst into his room and onto his floor, beak first. He chuckled nervously.

"Sorry?"

"You better be!"

Sora cringed and turned to see Reina stride into the room with her arms crossed.

"Who do you think you are, huh?!"

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean it! I was just…tired." He coughed. "I feel sick."

Reina searched his sheepish gaze with a critical eye. "Hmph."

"Not fine! How dare you call magic stupid?!" Donald lunged at him, but was restrained by Reina. Goofy walked in, holding a large green bottle and a thermometer and everyone froze, knowing what the bottle contained. Amongst many of Donald's restorative concoctions, the green bottle held the remedy for most common ailments and was also the most tough to get down.

"You said you were sick, right?" Donald said with a tone of vengeance in his voice.

"I mean, I'm not _that_ sick," Sora stepped back, eyeing the bottle with apprehension. "I just need some rest!"

"We'll see about that!" Donald snatched the thermometer from Goofy and prodded it into Sora's mouth.

"That hurt…" The teen complained, rubbing his cheek.

"Shut up!" Donald replied with a satisfied tone.

Reina stretched, letting out a yawn. "I think I'll head off to bed too. See you all."

Before leaving, she pointed an accusatory finger at Sora. "I'm keeping an eye on you."

"I said I'm sorry!" Sora chuckled along with her before waving goodbye. Goofy noticed the way his lingered at the door and the brightened smile that stayed on his face even after Reina left.

Goofy started wondering…

* * *

"Abu, this isn't the time!"

Aladdin grabbed the mischievous monkey from eyeing a fruit vendor's stall. He quickly sped off down one of Agrabah's narrow alleys in hopes of cornering the gigantic Heartless that he and two others were pursuing. He didn't know who they were and why they were helping him and he didn't really care; he only knew that they referred to each other using numbers instead of names. To add to the absurdness of the day, the Heartless wasn't anything like Aladdin had ever seen, even when he compared it to what Jafar became.

Aladdin rounded the corner just to find it speed past him, followed by two of the men clothed in black uniforms. He was shocked at how fast the Heartless could run, but then he did take into consideration the twelve arms sprouting from its back. Half man, half wispy ghost, the Heartless left tendrils of darkness wherever it was which made it easy for Aladdin to find it but it was much too agile for the three to keep it in one place. What Aladdin thought was the weirdest about the Heartless was that it never sought to hurt anyone unless it was provoked, and held its beady eyes for one object only.

"He dropped the lamp!"

Abu jumped off of Aladdin's shoulder and sped toward the golden object before the Heartless snatched it and roared in the trembling monkey's face. It made the approaching Organization members airborne with a swipe of one of its muscular arms. It vanished into the alley that led to the Main Bazaar.

"We'll lead it to the Cave of Wonders." One of the men told Aladdin.

"Right, I'll get some of the palace guards." Aladdin told him before he sped off into the main bazaar. Aladdin looked back at the glaring golden dome of the royal palace with determination. He was going to do whatever it took to get Genie back.

* * *

Before the group could even take in Agrabah's sights, surprised screams pierced the air as the busy crown of the Main Bazaar parted to make way for a charging black figure.

*_Why do we have to end up exactly at these moments?_* Reina thought with a tired sigh, taking out the Heartseeker. Reina gripped the weapon tightly when she saw the speed of the Heartless and gritted her teeth for one of the toughest Heartless they'd face yet. But before they could even touch the Heartless, it disappeared into a portal of darkness, followed by two other Organization members.

Aside from shocked whispers, the bazaar went back to its regular state as if nothing had happened and the group was left with their weapons out, still in shock.

"What…just happened?" Reina asked the others, who shared her confusion.

"Two Organization members!" Donald exclaimed.

"And a Heartless." Goofy added.

"We should go ask Aladdin and Jasmine if they know anything about this." Sora suggested. The others nodded in agreement and followed him down the road to the royal palace.

* * *

"_Fifty-three percent_"

* * *

"Aladdin! Jasmine!"

The four stormed onto the palace's entrance grounds and the couple spun to greet them with relieved smiles.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy!"

"Boy, are we glad to see you guys!"

"Do you know anything about those Organization members and—"

"The Heartless that enchanted Genie back into his lamp and stole it?" Jasmine finished and the trio's jaws fell open.

"How?"

"When?"

"Why…?"

Aladdin shook his head sadly. "We have no idea, but we need help capturing it. Are you guys up for it?"

"You bet!" Sora replied without hesitation.

Aladdin grinned and whistled loudly. Reina's eyes widened to a see a blur of colors swirl around Aladdin and became even more shocked when she saw it was a flying carpet, something she'd only heard about in storybooks.

"Hop on, I'll tell you everything I know on the way."

* * *

The Cave of Wonders was a cool and damp oasis compared to the arid Agrabah desert outside. Mounds of gold and jewels were strewn along the path and much to Donald's disappointment, they weren't allowed to take anything with them.

"So you took the _Organization's_ help?" Sora repeated in shock.

"Yeah, if that's what they're called." Aladdin replied, looking closely around for signs of the Heartless' arrival. "What's wrong with them?"

"Everything!" Donald exclaimed.

"I'm surprised they haven't filled this world with Nobodies yet." Reina stated.

"Nobodies are like Heartless that the Organization control." Goofy said in response to Aladdin's quizzical expression.

"They must have their own reasons for getting that Heartless…" Sora said, voicing what was in everyone's mind.

Aladdin shrugged. "I don't know what it is, but as long as they help me get Genie back I don't care."

The five traveled in silence, looking out for traces of darkness in the slowly dimming cave when a haze lingered in front of them. Aladdin paused to examine it before making a decision on which way to go.

"This way."

They sped past torch lined corridors to an enclosed room that shouts were coming from. The Organization members were fighting a losing battle against the Heartless, and they seemed to realize it when the five arrived. They disappeared into portals of darkness promptly after spotting them.

"Cowards." Sora growled through gritted teeth, summoning the Keyblade.

"Wait." Aladdin breathed, observing the Heartless intently. The Heartless banged the lamp against the stone wall, as if trying to pry it open. It wasn't bothered by the groups presence at all.

"I get it now." Aladdin said with sudden clarity.

"What?"

"It wants to make a wish…why else would it want Genie?" Aladdin told the group. "I knew something was different…"

The group was stunned silent. The more Reina looked at it, the more she saw what Aladdin was talking about. It made the Heartless seem more…human. Reina didn't know whether she should pity the creature or fear it. There was an overwhelming sadness that swept over her as she kept looking at its face.

"What does it want?" She whispered tremblingly. The Heartless looked up and faced the group for the first time, fixating its glowing ochre orbs at Reina. It stared at her for a minute as if searching for a lost thought before taking a step toward her.

Defensively, Sora quickly took out the Keyblade and glared back at the Heartless before Reina could stop him. The Heartless immediately turned violent and made an earth shattering howl before lunging at the group. The five quickly dispersed into different sides of the room, which made them believe they had an extreme advantage over the Heartless. But before they could even take a step forward to strike the Heartless, wisps of solidified darkness wrapped around their limbs and threw each of them around the room with great force.

Disoriented, Reina barely felt herself being lifted up until she met those characteristic glowing eyes just inches away from her face.

* * *

**_!Author's Note!_**

Yeah, it's been like two months since I've updated, sorry! School really sucks big time xp Anyways, I barely looked through this chapter for editing, which is probably why this is rushed and all over the place Dx I actually really wanted to get through this world and move on to the next chapters as soon as possible though, and I'll really try hard to get them out as soon as possible.

Okay, last chapter, Sora was at sixty-eight percent completion, and now he's at forty three for starters so any guesses on why or how this is happening? The mysterious Heartless (Yuuta), has a direct relation to Reina...can you tell what the wish is? Or who he is to Reina? I know I really didn't get into it here, but I'll probably expand on this next chapter so stay tuned!

Any questions or comments? Be sure to tell me! :D

~narcotic-lullaby


	13. Change

**Recap:** The four rescue Meg from the Underworld and return to find the Coliseum demolished. Promising a bigger, better Coliseum, Phil, Meg and Hercules say their goodbyes to the group. Soon after, Sora and Reina practice their magic and Sora becomes irritated at the fact he couldn't cast a sufficient spell to eliminate a simple Shadow Heartless illusion and realizes that there is some darkness in him as well. The group soon arrives at Agrabah, where an unusual Heartless has stolen Genie's lamp and is being chased by two Organization members and Aladdin. They finally find the Heartless in the Cave of Wonders.

* * *

She could barely breathe. The forceful impact against the stone wall of the Cave of Wonders had on Reina and the others had disabled them from movement. Wisps of darkness emanating from the Heartless restrained them from even attempting to attack it. When she was able to collect herself, Reina was finally able to register that the Heartless was looking directly at her, inches away from her face. Her eyes widened.

The Heartless didn't only act like a human being, it _looked _like one too. Its heavyset face softened from anger to curiosity, relaxing the ancient lines still etched on its face. A beard composed of wisps of darkness fell from the Heartless' face to muffle its prominent frown. Reina forgot about the others; it was like their yells were blotted out of the room and casted off into another one miles away. It was just her and the Heartless there.

She tried to struggle away but could barely move in the ropelike restraints. Blood pounding into her ears, Reina faced the Heartless with fear mixed with confusion. The Heartless continued staring as if searching for an answer. When she closed her eyes to blink her vision turned inward, and she saw nothing but black.

_I was running again, but this time I wasn't running away from Heartless. I was running _to_ something._

_It was night and I was dashing through dirt streets, making everything around me look like a blue blur. I stopped, panting for breath at a fork in the road and looked around for something._

"_Reina!"  
_

_I whipped around to see a tall man running towards me. I let out a sigh of relief. _

"_I—"_

"_Where were you? Why are you even out at this time?!" He cut in and crouched down to scan me anxiously, "I thought I told you to go wait at the spot!"_

"_I was looking for you." I heard a reply in a voice that sounded like it belonged to a younger version of me. "I saw some weird guys talkin' about finding you and I thought they were the bad guys you were talkin bout so I got scared and went to look for you first."_

"_They're here already." The man's eyes, identical to my own, changed from worry to a grated acceptance when he made that statement. They became blank, as if his vision turned inward and all he could see were his thoughts. His mouth became a hard line out of contemplation, and his shoulders slightly slumped. _

_After minutes lost in thought, his stony features broke into a mirthless chuckle. Despite that I became somewhat relieved seeing him smile._

_*He'll figure out a way to get out of this problem.* I had thought with confident assurance. *He always does.*_

_With a smile, he extended his right arm and a swirl of light enveloped it, materializing into the Heartseeker. Confused, I looked around._

"_There aren't any Heartless here though!" I whispered, as if he were letting out the world's biggest secret out._

"_I know." He muttered with that same smile. He closed his eyes and brought the Heartseeker close to him, letting the blade gently touch his forehead. He concentrated and moved his lips almost silently, as if he were saying a prayer. He looked so entrenched in what he was doing that I bit my tongue from asking what was going on._

"_Please, please…" I heard him whisper desperately and it was the first instance where I had felt something wasn't going right. He then opened his eyes as the Heartseeker shook and evaporated into small specks of light. He took my hand and opened my small palm. A cool breeze and a burst of bright light shimmered around my outstretched hand, creating a slight pressure on my hand. I gasped._

_The Heartseeker was in my possession now. It disappeared almost as instantly as it appeared and I looked at him with complete bewilderment._

"_It'll come to you when you need it." He told me with finality as if it was the answer to all of my questions. He pulled me into a hug and I reciprocated the movement, but not without my confusion intensifying. What was going on? Why did I get the Heartseeker? _

_The scene became muffled and dark and the last thing I heard was a piercing scream..._

Reina blinked to refocus herself and became sick to her stomach. The Heartless in front of her…_resembled the man in her memory_. No, it _was_ him. She was sure of it.

The Heartless relaxed and dropped the lamp, letting the metallic _clink_ echo in the cave and remind Reina about the others. She registered their voices again but her eyes never left the Heartless' ghostly ones. She felt numb.

A pressure on her head lightened and Reina realized that the Heartless rested a hand on her head before fading willingly, as if he were saying goodbye. There was a collective thud and groan as the restraints binding the others evaporated. Reina stared at the Heartless as it unceremoniously disappeared from the room, searing a hauntingly vivid image onto her mind before she too crashed onto the cold floor.

*_This is the person who gave me the Heartseeker…the person Maleficent was talking about. Who is he? What…what happened to him? And that scream…who did it belong to?_*

"Hey, are you okay? Did it hurt you?...Reina?"

A gentle shake and the said teen looked up to see the worried faces of her friends.

"I'm fine," Reina assured everyone almost immediately as she hoisted herself up, "I just…really don't know what happened."

"You sure?" Sora pressed, searching her anxiously.

She mustered a smile and stepped away from them. "Yeah, you don't have to worry about me! Where's the lamp?"

The group turned to Aladdin, who already found the golden object lying not far from where they were. Rubbing the lamp caused it to shake out of his hand to billow out smoke and contort into wavy patterns in the air.

"I'm baaaack!" A loud voice bellowed joyfully, letting his greeting resonate inside everyone. A blue djinn with a wide grin stepped out of the smoke and flexed his comically enhanced arms. "And better than ever!"

"Hey, Genie!" Aladdin exclaimed with an amused grin.

"Al! It's been eons! You princely little muffin, you!" Genie brought him and Abu into a tight hug, not realizing that they were almost suffocating.

"Thanks for getting me out of that lamp, Al!" Genie popped off his blue head and made copies of them, "I was losing my mind in there!" He said as his body juggled with the several heads.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting someone?" Sora waved.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Genie marked each name with a boisterous slap on the back. "It's so good to see you guys again!"

"Same here, Genie." Sora agreed with a smile. Genie's eyes turned to Reina who was too lost in thought to realize what was going on around her.

"Oho! This must be Kairi!" Genie took her hand and shook it vigorously, "I've heard so much about you! Mostly because Sora wouldn't shut up about you but who can blame the effects of young love? Am I right or am I right?"

Reina looked at the trio, utterly lost.

"_Genie_," Sora groaned in embarrassment as Goofy and Donald snickered, "That's _Reina_. She's a _friend_."

Genie gasped. With a puff of smoke, he conjured flowers and handed them to her with a bow. "My apologies, Reina! I'm just so happy to be _free_ again!"

He bounced around the walls of the Cave and stopped only when Goofy started talking

"Have you guys seen the King anywhere?" the Royal Knight asked.

"Or Riku?" Sora chimed in.

Both Genie and Aladdin shook their heads and the trio's heads fell.

"But if we do see them, we'll let you know as soon as possible!" Genie added positively.

"Guess it's time to head back to the castle then." Aladdin turned to Genie. "Jasmine's gonna be relieved to see you back again."

"Oh, that's right! Let's go right away then!" Genie snapped his fingers and, with a giant puff of blue smoke, teleported everyone to the palace.

* * *

After locking Agrabah's Keyhole using Genie's old lamp, the group said their goodbyes and made their way down the bustling Main Bazaar, where there was even more crowds celebrating that the Heartless terrorizing their streets was finally gone. The energetic dancing and rambunctious music drew in the four to stop and enjoy the merrymaking. At one point Donald was "accidentally" pushed into singing in front of a crowd, a performance that was met with a cricket chirping silence and a flaming red Royal Wizard.

Despite the easygoing nature of the evening, Reina felt her mind moving at a pace that was difficult for even her to flesh out her own thoughts. Theories, questions, and hypothesized answers all attacked her brain for a second, only to move away to make room for the next. She tried to hide her muddled feelings from showing by determinedly keeping on a smile at all times, despite how strained it felt. She didn't want anyone to know about the memory either; she felt it was something she had to figure out on her own. She doubted they would have understood, anyway.

*_There's so much I don't know! Where should I even start?_* Reina sighed sharply, glancing at the merrymaking in disdain. *_I need space to think_*

"I think I forgot something at the palace." She muttered suddenly to the trio. "I'll be right back, you guys go ahead."

"Come back soon!" Goofy called at the same time Donald scoff, "These teenagers…"

"Hold on, I'll—" Sora's sentence was cut by a heaving cough that clearly marked his deteriorating health.

"Stay and rest in the Gummi Ship, you mean?" Reina crossed her arms and searched Sora with worry.

""Didn'tcha give him the healing potion a while ago?" Goofy asked Donald, who scratched his head in confusion.

"Maybe it isn't just a cold." Donald concluded. Sora's eyes grew wide.

"Of course it's _just_ a cold! What else would it be?" He spoke slightly louder than usual and broke eye contact.

"It could be a fever you dummy," Donald replied impatiently, "Let's just get back to the Gummi Ship now."

"Are ya sure you'll be okay alone, Reina?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah, of course I will." She replied with a tight smile, "See you guys in a few minutes."

Without looking back, she turned and wandered off into the crowds. Her curved lips dropped, finally releasing the hard line underneath.

* * *

Reina sat at the edge of an old storeroom with her eyes closed in concentration. She sighed, and then opened her emerald orbs in disappointment to see Agrabah's glowing streets below.

*_Why am I not remembering anything now?!_* She thought in frustration as she closed her eyes again. *_Why can't I have control over my own memories?_*

Only the flashes what she saw previously played in her mind, like floating threads of a tapestry that was ripped to shreds. She had no idea how to tie those threads together or how big the gap between them was. She opened her eyes again and met a pair of twinkling oceanic eyes.

"Hey!"

With a sharp intake of breath Reina twisted on the spot, forgetting that she was on the edge of a building. She lost balance and slid off, but not before a laughing blonde caught her and pulled her back up.

"Roxas!" Reina yelled, hitting him, "What the heck?!"

"It's not that far down." Roxas waved off airily, glancing down, "You would've lived."

" So. Freaking. Insensitive!" Reina fumed, marking each word with a hit.

"Hey sorry! Sorry!" Roxas' voice was pure joy, leading Reina to forget they were in Agrabah and instead were atop Twilight Tower for a moment. There was no Heartseeker to worry about, no forgotten memories to retrieve, no Organization XIII. Just her, Roxas, and another blissful evening in Twilight Town where the most they'd have to worry about was homework and Seifer.

"Ow…" Roxas rubbed his arm with a wince, "Are you wearing rings or something?!"

"No…"

"You've gotten really strong." Roxas smiled, "Finally living up to the Struggle Queen name, huh?"

"I've_ always_ done that!" Reina claimed. She looked around. "Where's Axel?"

"He's working on something. He never tells me what." Roxas waived off, "How's your memory recovery going?"

"Good, but…" Reina trailed off, looking toward the desert's horizon.

"What happened?" He stepped toward her, concern adorning his face.

Reina studied him before admitting, "A lot has changed…especially since I've started remembering things, y'know? I wish we could go back in time and stay in Twilight Town before all this…mess happened."

"That's it? We still can!" the blonde insisted, "After all this is sorted out we can go back and…"

He trailed off seeing Reina shake her head with a sad smile. "I don't think we can. Nothing can be the way it was before, you know that. Everything's changing so fast."

There was a pause.

"Well…maybe change is good. We'll see something new, do something new. Even if it seems scary now, I think it'll all work out in the end." Roxas told her confidently.

"You think so?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah! I mean, think about all of the worlds you've been to! All of the stuff you've seen, the things you've done! It's great, isn't it? Think about the homework we don't have to do anymore!"

Reina laughed. "Hayner and Pence would be so jealous of us right now."

"Olette too, though she'd probably lecture us about it." Roxas grinned.

"I'm running away if she tries to lecture me again!" Reina groaned, thinking about Olette's daily lectures on doing homework and getting good grades.

"I'd go with you." Roxas smiled, "We'd go everywhere, just like we used to!"

"Really?" Her eyes lit up with wonder, "What about Twilight Town?"

"We can always go back." Roxas waved off, "It's our home, after all."

*_Our home_…* Reina liked that idea. No matter what happened, they'd always have a sanctuary to go back to that would always stay the same for them. She smiled. At least, at the end of the road, there was something to look forward to, no matter how messy the path in front of her was. She had Roxas to look forward to.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"What the heck was that?" Roxas spun around. Reina looked down to see the source of the obnoxious scream.

"Donald? What's he doing here?" Reina's eyes widened furiously when she saw what the duck was brandishing around in his hand.

"That's _your_ Struggle gem!" She hissed, recognizing the spherical gem and the handmade pouch it came from. "He lied to me and said it was part of an old ring of his!"

"What do you mean it's fake?!" Donald demanded from a jewelry vendor.

"I mean what I say, you dumb duck!" the vendor retorted impatiently, "It's glass, it's not a real gem!"

Donald looked at the vendor suspiciously and then back at the gem. His shoulders slumped. Mumbling something, he threw the old trophy token behind his shoulder and marched back down the street. Looking around if anyone witnessed what had happened, the vendor stepped out of his store to search for it, presumably to try to sell it off as a real to a hapless customer.

"Oh he better not!" Reina quickly leapt off of the short storeroom and grabbed the stone right at the moment the vendor picked it up.

"It's mine!" The vendor pulled at the gem.

"It's not!" Reina argued vehemently, not letting the gem go. The vendor grabbed her wrist and tried to pry the gem out of it. He froze after something sharp poked his back.

"Let her go." Roxas growled. The vendor raised both his arms and Reina recovered the gem, glaring at the vendor. The vendor, however, wasn't about let go without a fight.

"Guards! Thieves!" He bellowed and, almost like lightning, four heavyset palace soldiers surrounded them. The vendor pointed at Reina and then Roxas behind him accusingly.

The guards grabbed a struggling Roxas first, pulling his arms back to swiftly handcuff him. Reina made a motion to throw the gem as far away from the vendor as possible.

"Try finding that _now_!" She taunted smugly, seeing the vendor's reaction as he stared into the crowd. She quickly tucked the gem in her back pocket as the palace guards pulled her arms back to handcuff her.

"Trying to steal jewelry were we?" the leader of the four said, "Too bad you're young; you'll be spending the rest of your lives rotting in the dungeon!"

"It's _his_ fault, _he_ was being a—"

"Roxas." Reina shook her head and the blonde turned his hateful eyes away from resentfully.

"Take them away!" The vendor shouted with frustration, mourning the loss of a few extra munny.

The two were roughly shoved away from the Main Bazaar to the road that led to the palace.

"Can't you use that black magic thingy you do to teleport places right now?" Reina asked, letting the crowd's noise overshadow her voice.

"Black magic thingy?" Roxas repeated in amusement.

"You know what I mean!"

"I could but I would need to be in contact with you for us to leave together." Roxas told her, "I don't think we could fight with these things on either."

They walked for a few minutes in contemplation before an idea struck Roxas' mind. "There is one way…"

"What?"

"Don't kill me."

"What is it though?"

"This."

Feeling the guard's grip on him loosened, Roxas pulled away from them. There were sounds of surprise from the guards and Reina sighed helplessly, knowing that this was one of his infamous, hot-blooded ideas that were almost always made up as they went along. In the time he was away from the guard's grip, he leaned toward Reina and pressed his lips against hers. They disappeared quickly in a black haze.

The guards were left gaping in shock.

* * *

The teens reappeared on top of another building away from where the Main Bazaar was. Reina pulled back, bright red and completely jolted by the kiss.

"I-I'm sorry!" Roxas stuttered, mortified. "I just thought—I didn't mean for anything—I'm sorry!"

There was a long pause before Reina spoke.

"Wait," Reina's voice shook slightly, "So you're saying it didn't mean anything?"

"No! Yes! No…yes? Yes! Is this a trick question?" He rambled.

Reina simply replied with a questioning gaze.

"I-I don't know!" Roxas burst, "I just really like you!"

Reina's lips lifted into a radiant smile and a light filled her eyes, as if someone had turned on a light inside of her. She stepped back close to him and rested her forehead onto his.

"That's all you had to say, stupid." She whispered tenderly as she looked at how the moonlight illuminated his relaxing features.

The cool night breeze swept over the heat radiating from their faces as he moved closer to her. A sensation went down her spine as she realized that their bodies were pressing against each other, how their breaths mingled. Her heart started to beat irrationally fast, and she felt as if the whole world could hear the blood pounding against her ears. The more she sank into his eyes and he into hers the more they came to realize that the inexplicable sweetness they were feeling was not as separate beings, but as one entity.

She gently placed her lips onto his, which he welcomed softly with his own. Time then seemed to flow at a honey-like pace; the kiss felt more of a dream and less of reality. It was the long awaited answer to what felt like an eternity of questioning gazes and longing stares and neither of them wanted the moment to end. As a warm, cozy feeling enveloped them from head to toe, they had singled themselves out as the only beings that existed in that time period.

Hearing several shouts below, they reluctantly brought themselves back to reality and had let the sensation slowly fade away as if waking up from a wonderful dream.

There was an unmistakable smile both looked away shyly, the pink still tingeing their faces despite the cool breeze. Reina felt like skipping.

Roxas was right. Change _was_ good.

"Wait…" the blonde struggled with something behind him for a moment. A dull thud hit the ground as he freed his wrists from the handcuffs.

"How'd you do that?!" Reina asked with her eyes wide.

"Black magic ." Roxas chuckled, moving to help Reina.

"Forget I said that, sheesh!" She turned around to glare at him.

"I don't think I ever can." He laughed, mainly to antagonize her.

"Hmph." Reina pulled out the blue gem from her back pocket and her own green token from her side pouch. She handed Roxas the green gem and he looked at her inquisitively.

"It's something to remember each other by." Reina told him, "No matter how much everything around us changes."

He held up the bottle green gem up to the moonlight beside her sapphire colored one. Roxas looked at her and repressed a satisfied smirk.

He was finally winning.

* * *

**_!Author's Note!_**

Quicker than last time! (…Right?)

Okay, starting from the top! It's been so long since this chapter, but the predecessor Maleficent was talking about was also Reina's father, which means that the Heartless is what's left of her father, which means that…

Anyways, I know I tried to focus the majority of this chapter on Roxas' and Reina's relationship…I just hope it wasn't too tooooo cheesy! . Idk, it was really hard to write. I hope it turned out alright and please, please, let me know on how I can improve!

And, as always, make sure to let me know about any questions or comments you might have! :)

~narcotic-lullaby


	14. A Peek Into The Past

Recap: After coming in contact with a mysterious Heartless, Reina begins to remember more about her past and how she inherited the Heartseeker. As he group roams Agrabah, Reina leaves them to think about her visions and meets Roxas again. They finally confess their feelings to each other. Meanwhile, Sora learns that he is being severely affected by Darkness and becomes desperate in his attempts to fight it.

* * *

Namine's azure eyes fluttered open and she let out a sigh of relief. With Roxas distracting Reina, she was able to redirect the Guardian's memories back toward the Organization.

Unable to meet Axel's eager leer, she focused on the smiling portraits on the White Room's table. The blond witch was thoroughly disgusted with what she was doing and especially for the reason she was doing it. In the end, she thought, every one of them was an Organization member to the core. They cared only about one thing: a heart.

*_Every one of them is selfish_.* She thought as she absentmindedly traced a smiling face. *_Even Roxas._*

"Well?" Axel prompted, "What happened?"

"It is done," The young blond responded distantly, "I don't think her memories will leak any more now."

"Good..." he grinned, "How long will it take for her to remember everything?"

"It depends on how Roxas is doing." A bad taste filled her mouth when she repeated with a whisper, "They're all connected, you know."

She knew that each time Roxas was doing better, Sora was doing worse. If Sora ended up becoming consumed by Darkness like Axel and Roxas planned, she wouldn't know how to forgive herself. Even worse, she wouldn't know how to begin to ask forgiveness from Riku.

Namine looked away, scorning herself. She wasn't better than any of them. After all, she was the one orchestrating the plan. She was just as greedy as they were.

Her fingers stopped tracing the auburn-haired girl's face and dug into where _her_ heart was supposed to be.

* * *

To Sora, the whole room seemed to be on fire. Fed up with being restricted to bed rest on Donald's orders, he threw away heat laden bed sheets on the ground and rested his back against the cool wall of the Gummi Ship.

He knew he needed help. Bloodshot eyes glanced blearily at his trembling hands and bit back a torrent of frustration, deciding that he wouldn't give in to Darkness until the very end. The risk was too high. Sora rested his eyes and thought about Riku, the once carefree islander who became Ansem's bloodthirsty pawn just because of its influence. His best friend was ready to take his and Kairi's heart without a second glance.

What would _he_ do?

His mind filled with all of his friends cowering away from him. *_Riku, Kairi…_*

He would leave them. *…_Donald, Goofy…_*

He would hurt them.*…_Reina…!_*

"I won't let it happen!" Sora jumped off of the bed, shouting, "You hear me?!"

He glared at his own reflection, waiting cautiously with the Keyblade out as if it would jump out of the mirror and try to fight him and tell him otherwise. He was reminded that he wasn't the only person on the Gummi Ship when he heard a knock on the door.

"Sora? Are…you okay?"

Sora's knees failed him and he landed on the bed again. A glum "yeah" was all he said to the door before Reina took it as invitation to march in.

"Good, get ready! We'll be landing soon!" The teen radiated happiness and Sora watched her with mixed bitterness and confusion.

Sora lowered his scowl to his overturned shoe. "You seem happy."

Reina didn't seem to notice his irritation. Instead, a faint blush filled her cheeks and a familiar smile curved her lips. "Really? Well…guess what?"

"What?" Sora asked nonchalantly.

"I've mastered the Firaga spell!" She mused, taking a seat next to him, "Donald said I still needed practice, but you should've _seen_ the way I toasted that Level 3 Heartless."

"Mhm."

Reina's smile fell momentarily, finally realizing that he wasn't in the mood to talk much. He sunk into his open palms. *_I can't let it get the best of me, I can't, I can't._*

"You know…" Reina began as she scanned his weak condition, "I think you should rest. Honestly, you look worse than you did before."

"Do I?" The worry was evident in Sora's tone. He stared at the open door for a moment before shaking his head and affirming, "I'm fine."

"Tch." Reina shook her head with an air of irritation of her own. "You're obviously not, anyone can see that. You're practically a zombie!"

"I've already told you, alright?" Sora's eyes flashed at her threateningly, "I'll be able to go. Stop bothering me about it."

"Not when you're collapsing all over the place, you won't." Reina retorted with equal anger. She sighed and then added more calmly, "Rest. Who knows what'll be out there? We've got to be prepared or else—"

Sora immediately turned aggressive. "Just shut up about it! 'Or else' what, huh? I can handle myself; I don't need _you_ telling me anything!"

Reina was taken aback and gazed at him with surprise. He broke eye contact, his blood pumping wildly; any remorse was deafened by outrage and obstinacy.

There was a loud thump and bright bursts of light flowing into the Hall from the Front.

"Fine. Do what you want." Reina muttered tersely, storming out of the room without another word.

Sora watched her black ponytail sway behind her as she left, as if it were also disapproving of him. He rolled his eyes, for once glad to see her go. In his annoyance Sora failed to realize that, despite his boiling blood, he grew more pale and the circles around his eyes more ghastly. His limbs were shaking unnaturally, but he still managed to harness the foreign, growing strength inside him to follow Reina outside.

*_I can do this._* He told himself firmly. *_I can fight this. This is nothing. I've fought Darkness before. I'm fine._*

* * *

"Aztec treasure, eh?"

Pete stroked his double chin thoughtfully. The fat cat entered this world, as always, on Maleficent's orders as an ambassador to her long time pirate colleague, Captain Barbossa. Though the disheveled crew couldn't control Heartless like he did, he sensed a similar Darkness from them. Pete was used to working with Darkness, but seeing their beady leers and yellowed smiles made the hairs on his back stand up.

"Aye!" Barbossa growled at him, "And thanks to the curse put on it, we are neither among the livin' nor the dead."

Pete raised an eyebrow. "Really? Ya seem like regular pirates to me."

"Ah," the Captain chuckled, "But in the moonlight…"

As the moon peered at them from behind shadowy clouds, its light changed Barbossa and his crew's appearances. They all turned into grotesque skeletons, with bits and pieces of flesh and muscle still hanging on to their cursed bones. Pete suppressed a yelp.

"N-now I get what you're s-saying!" He stuttered, and the pirates all laughed in response. Pete tried to compose himself.

"If you see two doofuses and two brats holdin' Keyblades, steer clear." He advised, "They got a kinda magic that don't belong in this world, see? They belong to Maleficent."

"A match for Barbossa?" the Captain asked, amused. Pete narrowed his eyes.

"She sent me here to help you find that coin of yers. Just stay away from the brats, they're her business."

Barbossa tipped his hat. "An agreement I will honor, I promise ye."

A faint chuckle rang through his crew. Barbossa took no notice of them and instead raised his head with alert. Sure enough, two teens, a duck, and a tall dog walked into the port and stared back at them with surprise.

"Pete?!" Donald exclaimed, getting into a defensive stance along with the others.

"That's them!" Pete shouted, pointing. Barbossa motioned his crew to attack.

"You three! Stay here and indulge these cullies. The rest - bring me that medallion!" He commanded. Pete followed Barbossa and his crew away from the square.

Instead of breaking up as they usually did, Goofy, Donald, and Reina stayed close to Sora and created a protective barrier around him. Noticing this, Sora pushed past them with irritation and lunged at one of the Heartless.

One of the ragged pirates eyed Reina with an unsheathed sword and she advanced toward him cautiously. As the pirate struck, Reina slightly buckled under the pressure in blocking his sword with the Heartseeker. She jumped back as she pushed against him and quickly recanted the Firaga spell. A torrent of flames erupted from the tip of the Heartseeker and engulfed the pirate. She grimaced slightly when the pirate screamed in pain and flailed towards the ocean.

She immediately searched for Sora and let of a short breath of relief when she saw that he was aided by Donald in fighting another pirate. Then, she blinked in confusion. Donald's spells and Sora's attacks had no effect on the pirate at all. Rather, the pirate was laughing at them while they were hacking away at him. She turned to Goofy and noticed he was dealing with the same problem against a quick handed pirate.

She rushed towards Goofy and threw the Heartseeker as the pirate raised his sword and it reappeared in her hand. The pirate dropped his sword and rounded on her, his eyes wide.

"How did ye-?" The pirate croaked, raising an arm in defense. Reina lowered the Heartseeker and watched him curiously. He turned to the other pirate with urgency.

"Twigg! Let's get outta here!" He yelled, already running towards an alleyway.

Twigg laughed. "Why? I'm actually havin' fun with these—"

Suddenly, the moon reappeared from behind the clouds and illuminated their true features. The four cried in shock seeing their grisly appearances and Twigg scrambled out hastily.

"How did they do that?" Goofy wondered, scratching his head.

"It's the moonlight."

Another pirate swaggered into the port, though he didn't have the sickly pallor the others had. Reina noticed that although he too had a sword on him, his hands made no motion toward them. A red bandana and several adornments framed his weathered face and bright eyes. The others stared at him with their defenses up.

"The moon shows the world what they really are—the scum of this world." The pirate scowled and eyed the Heartseeker interestedly. "But how did this blade touch them even without the moonlight?"

He reached for the black blade, but Reina pulled away and looked at him distrustfully. "Who are you?"

The man grinned widely, revealing teeth of all colors—silver, gold, yellow. He bowed and told her, "I, my dear lady, am Captain Jack Sparrow."

Seeing that he was no threat, she dismissed the Heartseeker and walked past him. Sora looked as if he were fighting for five days without sleeping. His eyes were becoming clouded and unfocused, even as Donald showered him in Cure spells and potions. She chewed her lip anxiously.

"Well, who were they?" Goofy asked.

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but another man's voice interrupted him.

"Jack! What are you doing?! Hurry, they're getting away!"

The pirate rolled his eyes at the brown haired man. "Will, I have more important matters than your _Miss Swann_ to attend to."

It seemed as if it took every ounce of self control in Will's body for him not to choke Jack. "They're taking that stupid ship of yours too!"

Jack immediately changed tunes. "Watch your mouth; it's _the_ Black Pearl! Where did they go?"

"This way! Quickly!" Will turned and sped back down the alley.

"Will you help us find Miss Swann? We'll need that blade of yours." He nodded to Reina. She glanced at Sora with worry. He, on the other hand, was lost in his own world.

"Yes." He answered mechanically.

"Sora!" Donald reprimanded, stomping his foot.

Jack didn't need to ask twice. "Good. Onward!" he said, before running to follow Will.

"I can handle them…" Sora's voice trailed away softly. He followed Jack. The other shared looks of worry.

* * *

"Get away from her!"

"_She's_ what the cap'n wants! Now move before I slice her pretty throat!"

Reina and the others found Sora, Jack, and Will surrounding a pirate with a knife held against a woman's throat. The moon was still hidden and nobody made any move against Barbossa's pirate.

"You!" Jack whispered, nodding to Reina. "Use that blade."

Reina eyed at the knife uncertainly. She didn't want to make any move that would harm the woman.

"Stay back." She told everyone.

Only Jack stepped back, but the pirate took it as cue to turn and drag the woman away. Reina sped past Will and aimed the Heartseeker on the pirate's back. She put in all her strength in throwing the blade, which flew to pierce the pirate's back. The woman rushed to Will and embraced him tightly.

"Are you hurt?" Will asked her gently. She shook her head in response.

"And the medallion?" Jack asked. She lifted a chain around her neck. Hanging from it was a golden medallion emblazoned with skull and crossbones. The pirate let out a sigh of relief.

"I let up my half of the bargain; Help me get my ship back!" He demanded, walking past them. None of them moved.

He glared at them. "You know, you're much safer with a pirate—"

"A pirate? Seriously?" The woman repeated indignantly.

"_Because_," Jack continued, "I know how they work. So as long as you help me get my ship back, you won't have to worry about them searching for you. Again."

There was a pause.

"Fine," The woman told him, "But we don't trust you."

"Welcome aboard!" Jack replied sarcastically. He turned to Reina. "I still need more people to help, though…"

Reina crossed her arms and looked at him critically.

"We understand if you don't want to help him." Will told her.

"Shush, you!" Jack yelled.

Reina consulted Donald and Goofy, who both shrugged. They all glanced at Sora and made their decision in a heartbeat.

"Ah," Jack interrupted before Goofy could say anything, "Your friend could rest on the ship. It would be better than running around with Barbossa's crew and isolating yourself here, anyway."

Donald crossed his arms. "Okay then."

"Perfect! Now, onward!" Jack bellowed and then added as an undertone, "_Finally_."

* * *

"I was scared out of my mind so before I knew it I was hiding in the armoire because there was no other way. I called parley on the two pirates that found me and then they took me straight to Barbossa." Elizabeth, the blonde woman with Will, told a wide eyed Reina.

"What's 'parley'?" The teen asked.

"It's part of the Pirate Code." Will explained, "If an adversary demands parley, the opposition can do no harm until the parley is honored."

"And it is only completed when the adversary meets the ship's captain." Elizabeth finished.

"Pirates have a code?" Reina raised an eyebrow.

"Aye, we do." Jack nodded, "We honor it with our very lives."

The three snorted.

Donald and Goofy stepped out of the room below the upper deck, looking relieved. Reina hopped down right in front of the duck, startling him.

"What do you guys want from me?!" Donald stomped. He was obviously too worn from dealing with Sora's stubborn antics to be ready for Reina's quirks.

"Sorry!" Reina apologized sheepishly, "Just…how is he doing? Is he better?"

"He just went to sleep." Goofy sighed. Reina nodded and bit her lip. Donald rolled his eyes as she looked at him hesitantly.

"Just spit it out." Donald told her impatiently.

"Can I go see him?" She burst.

Goofy chuckled. "Of 'course ya can."

"Just be quiet!" Donald hissed as she entered the small room.

The creaky, slightly damp room was lit only by a few lamps, making shadows appear larger than they were on the yellow-tinged walls. Reina stepped lightly toward the cot in the corner, where Sora was tucked in.

"Told you so, idiot." Reina muttered.

Her green eyes studied how the lamplight flickered over Sora's features and noticed how unnatural they were on him. His smile was replaced with a disgusted snarl. The energetic color that lit his face was replaced by a gray tinge. She frowned.

She placed a hand on his forehead then jerked her hand away immediately, as if his skin burned her. Far from what a fever was supposed to feel, Sora's temperature dropped to almost a freezing level.

*_That's not how it's supposed to be._* Reina thought, her heart sinking. There was a repulsion emanating from him, one she was familiar with. *_Darkness? From Sora? That isn't possible._*

Feeling the blood drain from her face, she sank into a seat next to him. *_Someone did this to him. It has to be….No wonder he was acting so weird these past few days. How could Donald have missed this?_*

A surge of anger ignited her eyes when she thought of the possibility of it being the Organization's doing. *_Yeah, of course it'd be them. They were after us since the beginning.* _Her jaw tightened and then relaxed. *_Maybe…maybe Axel and Roxas would have some answers. They would know. I need to talk to them._*

"I…I won't let anything happen to you." Reina whispered with conviction. She reached to rest her hand on his. As soon as they made contact a jolt flew through her body and her eyes rolled back. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

_I opened my eyes to see Goofy and Donald beside me. We were standing in front of a gigantic, bizarre Keyhole in a place that we've never been before. I was holding a dark Keyblade toward it, without any reaction._

_This isn't my memory._

"_It won't work! The Keyhole's not finished yet!" Goofy exclaimed from beside me._

"_What can we do?" I heard a voice saying as I tossed the dark Keyblade aside. This didn't sound like my voice at all. It sounded like Sora…_

_This _is_ Sora's memory. I'm in his place!_

"_Maybe we gotta go wake Kairi up." Goofy suggested. Who's Kairi?_

"_I think you're right." I heard him saying. Sora turned toward a girl lying on the floor, unconscious. I felt enormous regret and desperation from him. He felt he was running out of options to save her._

"_If we can free her heart then…but how?" He said. Sora considered the dark Keyblade he threw. "A Keyblade that can unlock people's hearts…I wonder."_

_What was he going to do? _

_He walked toward it and picked it up. At that moment, I felt his determination. He had to set things right, no matter the cost._

"_Sora!"_

"_No! Wait!"_

_He looked over at Donald and Goofy pleading with him and there was a tinge of sadness as he raised the Keyblade._

_I couldn't believe it._

_In one quick movement, he pierced his chest with the Keyblade. I heard someone scream his name before he fell into an endless abyss of darkness._

* * *

"Reina! Get up!"

The teen's green eyes flung open to see Elizabeth's fearful face in dim candlelight. The other lamplights were extinguished so that the room was almost pitch black.

"What's going on?" Reina rubbed her head, sitting up.

Elizabeth let out a sound of relief. "I thought they might've gotten you too."

"Who?"

The older woman's features fell again. "Barbossa's crew. They've taken over the ship."

Reina's mouth hung open in horror. "When did they…how did they even find us?"

"I don't know, but that's beside the point," she whispered urgently, "They have Will and the others captive. They…they're looking for me but…"

Elizabeth's lip trembled. "But…they're really after Will."

"Huh? I thought you had the medallion, though."

"I do but they need the blood of a Turner and," Elizabeth took a deep breath, "_Will _is a Turner. I lied to protect him but if they find out…if anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself!"

Reina exhaled deeply, trying to put on a façade of calm. They were cornered and there was no way they could escape without turning over what Barbossa wanted. Ruthless as they were, she doubted that they wouldn't hesitate to leave the ship in flames when they got their cure. She turned to Sora and curled her fists, determined to make sure that they wouldn't lay a hand on him. But how?

"Oy, I think I heard something here!"

The two spun towards the door when they heard voices approaching the room.

"I knew a couple o' them were missin'!"

Reina's blood froze.

"They've heard us!" Elizabeth cried.

"Don't worry, just stay quiet. I'll take care of it." Reina told her, though the reassurance was baseless. As they marched toward the door, she followed her instincts and went with the first idea that popped into her mind.

Their steps grew louder. Before they could open the door, she barged through to the deck with the Heartseeker raised.

"Parley," She glared, "Take me to your captain."

* * *

**!Author's Note!**

Yeah, I know…it's been what, 5 months? Way too long! Hopefully, summer procrastination doesn't hit me and I can start updating on a regular basis. (_And maybe complete __all__ of it this summer? Hopefully…_)

Well, back to the questions! I…don't have any right now. '' BUT if you have any, or any comments, I'd love to hear them! Don't hesitate to let me know! :D

Plus, it_ has_ been a long time, so let me know if you notice any grammatical mistakes or issues in pacing or anything like that. I'd really appreciate it!

Peaaaaaace!

narcoticlullaby


	15. Negotiation

Recap: Namine confirms that Reina's memories won't leak anymore and Axel becomes more confident in his plans. Reina and Sora get into an argument about his health as they enter Port Royal. They meet Jack, Will, and Elizabeth and pursue the Black Pearl. When Reina goes to meet a sleeping Sora, she senses Darkness from him and views the moment he unlocked his own heart for Kairi. She wakes up to find out Barbossa's crew took over the ship, and then calls a parley on them.

* * *

"Take me to your captain."

The pirate stared crossed eyed at the Heartseeker pointed directly at his nose. He chuckled at Reina's menacing glare as he pulled out a gun confidently.

An entertained voice interrupted the pirate from the upper deck. "State your business."

"B-but captain!" The pirate looked from her to the upper deck, "It's just a—"

"It's part of the code," The voice hissed, "Now move before I blow yer brains out…not that you had any to begin with."

It was the pirate's turn to glower as he stepped aside with a small, mocking bow. She held her gasp seeing the pirate's true gruesome forms under the moonlight, their eager leers expecting nothing but amusement out of her. Donald and the others were tied around the mast; all but Jack were bewildered by the change of events. Blood seemed to riot in Reina's veins as she tried to mask her anger with an expression of calm, even seeping false confidence.

"Over here."

Snickers rang through the ship as Reina spun to see Barbossa leaning against the railing of the upper deck, beside a cowering Pete. His yellowed eyes weren't that much different from Heartless'. Her clenched jaw relaxed.

"Let them go."

"Oh dear me! I had no idea! How _ever _could I have upset her _highness_?" Barbossa cackled, "Forgive me!"

The pirates joined him, and her resolve wavered, but she kept her glare steady. "How long have you had the curse?"

Barbossa's laugh fell slightly.

"Years and years, right?" Reina continued, "Maybe even decades?"

Hearing the pirate's laughter dim made her confidence soar. "Decades, and you still haven't found a cure. Some captain you are."

Barbossa's lips pulled back into a snarl and the pirate crew moved toward her with swords raised. She heard Donald and Goofy warn her but she didn't budge, knowing that they could do no harm. Instead, she smirked and crossed her arms.

"Huh. Must be a touchy subject for you all."

"State your business lass or else I won't think twice about cutting off your head on that very spot." Barbossa spat.

She narrowed her emerald eyes. "I want to negotiate. Let them go and I'll give you a cure."

"You? How on earth can _you_—"

Reina summoned the Heartseeeker. "With this."

Barbossa's jaw dropped and he squinted at the blade. When he confirmed that it was indeed the Heartseeker, a genuine smile lifted his face.

"So it _is_ true. We've got another Guardian." Barbossa smirked, "It explains why you had such a big mouth. You had something to back it up."

Reina was taken aback. How did they know what it was? She heard Jack groan behind her.

"So that's your deal then? We leave the ship and you give us the Heartseeker?" Barbossa asked.

"I can't give it to you; I can only help you with it."

"Same difference." Jack called from behind her.

"You can't do that!" Pete interjected. "This is Maleficent's business! You were only supposed to find the medallion!"

Barbossa rolled his eyes.

"Someone, please—"

Before Pete could even register what was happening, a pirate bludgeoned him with a heavy club. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"You were saying?"

"Y-you leave this ship in peace _and_ without hurting anybody. Then I'll go with you." Reina told them. She didn't turn to look at Donald and Goofy when they cried in protest.

Barbossa slapped the rail in obvious happiness. "Done."

With a wave of his hand, the pirates started to board the _Black Pearl_ amidst sounds of disappointment and curiosity.

Reina dismissed the Heartseeker and looked at her open hands. She was clenching her fists so hard they left red imprints on her palms.

*_What just happened?_*

She turned to look at the others and saw the lines on Goofy's more prominent than she'd ever seen while Donald looked as he was about to explode from anger. She moved to go talk to them but was blocked by one of the pirates.

"Not here. There." He grunted, pointing to the _Black Pearl._

"R-right." She mumbled. Reina chewed her lip in growing apprehension and panic with each creaking step toward the _Black Pearl_.

"Goodbye!" Jack called, and she spun to catch a glimpse of them.

"Keep moving!" a pirate barked.

She took a deep breath to try to calm her nerves, but to no avail. It took every bit of self control for her not to look at Elizabeth's hiding place in fear of giving it away.

*_Sora..._*

"Don't try ta make any smart moves, see?" One pirate grumbled. She heard a rough click behind her and felt cold weight against her wrists. She was handcuffed.

* * *

"Well, you're never seeing her again." Jack said offhandedly as Elizabeth began working on the ropes that bound them.

"What are you talking about?" Will asked, "Elizabeth is right here."

"Not her." Jack said, waving his arms toward the _Black Pearl_, "Her."

"Whatcha mean, Jack?" Goofy asked slowly.

Jack sighed exasperatedly. "We're not stupid, we do know about the worlds around us. I'm surprised I didn't recognize it…"

Goofy and Donald shared glances of confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Donald crossed his arms.

"They know what the Heartseeker is, what it can do." Jack told them, "And they know how to take it."

"But Reina has it," Goofy said as he scratched his head, "How can they get it?"

"Oh. _Oh_." Jack started pacing around the deck. "You just don't know. Or, of course, you just weren't told. They can be that type; they usually are, the saintly fools."

"Just get to the point, Jack." Will told him irritably.

"They'll kill her." Jack told them, "It's what they're after and that's the only way to get it, besides inheriting it. That is why he was so ready to make the deal."

His words pierced the salty air and silenced the waves. Goofy's heart sank into his stomach and Donald's mind went completely blank. They were rendered speechless.

"How do you know this?" Elizabeth asked as Jack climbed the stairs toward the ship's wheel, "And how can you be so sure Barbossa knows this too?"

"I knew another one of them." Jack replied with a fond look in his eyes, "He's met Barbossa too."

"What are we going to do now?" Will asked.

Jack looked at him as if he were stupid. "Follow them, of course. They're getting away with my ship!"

* * *

"Come on, almost there…"

Empty pep talk resulted in even more bruised hands for Reina. Being captive with heavy handcuffs in the dungeon of the _Black Pearl_ had made her even more fearful about her fate. She rolled her eyes in irritation at Pete, who was now snoring soundly in the cell across from her.

*_Sora's Keyblade can open locks, so maybe…_*

She gripped the Heartseeker and jammed it into different spots on the handcuffs before dropping it in frustration.

"You **stupid** piece of freaking trash!" She kicked the blade across the floor and started pacing around her cell restlessly. She didn't see any possibility of escaping a ruthless pirate crew, nor any idea what they were going to do with her.

The door creaked open and Reina froze, wide eyed. Barbossa stepped in and strode towards the Heartseeker. A dry chuckle rang from the captain before he turned to face the now expressionless teenager.

"You act a lot like the other Guardian." Barbossa commented, standing in front of the cell.

Reina blinked at him. *_Could he mean the man in the dream?_*

"Get straight to the point." She spat, straightening her back.

"Is arrogance a requirement for you all?" Barbossa's grin grew, "I'm curious."

Reina's lips pursed. "What difference does it make to you?"

Barbossa's eyes glittered maliciously. "I have to know what traditions to carry on, lass, as Guardian."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean. Tell me, how did you someone as young as you earn the Heartseeker? Or," He laughed, "Are you actually a bloodthirsty murderer on the sly?"

*_He knows how to get the Heartseeker…_*

Her throat ran dry. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yuuta wasn't an easy one to catch. He was cunning, always a step ahead. Trying to kill him was almost impossible because of that, ask me. You probably couldn't catch your own shadow. So, then, why would he hand it over to you? Unless…" Barbossa's eyes widened as he scanned Reina, "You knew him."

"You're crazy," Reina muttered, "I've never even heard of that name before."

Barbossa's eyes bore into her and he stayed silent as she continued to glare back at him.

"Where it came from doesn't matter now," Barbossa concluded with a satisfied smile, "It will finally be mine before sunrise."

When he left, it was as if Reina was released from a trance; her hardened countenance thawed into an ocean of tears. The ship's damp wall served as her only comfort as she leaned onto it and tried to ease the pit in her stomach.

*"_If you lose the Heartseeker to anyone from the darkness, it will be near impossible to stop them bringing chaos to all of the worlds. Darkness would swallow those worlds…"_*

Minnie's warning echoed in her mind, creating images of Darkness ridden worlds and the consequences they bore. There would be no Twilight Town for her to back to, no one to go back for. Everything and everyone she loved in those worlds—especially Olette, her parents, Hayner, and Pence—would be overrun with hoards of Heartless. Whole worlds would disappear.

*_It'll all be my fault... I'm not going to let that happen. All these people are counting on me, I can't let them down! I have to figure something out!_*

* * *

"Ah, Tortuga! Almost feels like home!"

Jack lead the crew off of the dock and into a harbor flooding with drunkards and prostitutes. Shattered bottles sparkled under the fire from torches that lined the harbor and its adjoining taverns. The pirate inhaled the characteristic smell of cheap rum deeply.

"Why did they come here?" Elizabeth growled, surveying Tortuga with intense displeasure.

"They're here to celebrate." Will answered, to which the pirate pointed to in agreement.

"And celebrate they shall. Which means," Jack said, "The _Black Pearl_ will be empty, you can rescue your Guardian friend, I can get my ship back, and we will all be one happy family. Savvy?"

"Let's just hurry!" Donald stomped, his expression pale.

"Right then, let's see here…" Jack pulled out his compass and pointed. "That way!"

* * *

"_You've already lost once, what makes you think you'll win this time?"_

_I couldn't tell the attacker anything because I agreed with him. We were fighting for seemed like an eternity on a platform of cracked glass, flickering with colored lights that seemed to be reminding me of a distant memory. It was getting darker and darker._

"_Give up already, it'll save us both time." He cackled, throwing his blond head back._

"_You wish!" Was my feeble answer. My hands were trembling and I could barely see anything. I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep up any longer. Still, I refused to surrender. I had hope._

"_You asked for it." _

_Before I knew it, he dashed toward me and slashed my chest. I lost balance and fell over the edge of the platform. Funnily enough, I was…relieved. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, letting go of all my worries as I descended deeper into the darkness._

_I became numb._

* * *

"Where is she?!"

"Reina!"

Goofy, Donald, and the others rushed onto the _Black Pearl_, looking for any sign of the teen.

"You can't just storm onto a ship like that!" Jack shouted, "There might be someone!"

Right at that moment, the door to the dungeon swung open and Pete emerged, clutching his head. "Maleficent's gonna let me have it now…"

"You!" Donald yelled.

Pete's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "It's all your fault!"

With a wave of his massive paw like hands, several Heartless appeared, surrounding them. "I'm gonna make you all pay!"

"What did I tell you…" Jack groaned, unsheathing his sword.

The sound of clinking bottles and raucous laughter only increased as Barbossa staggered up with a goblet raised. Reina stayed still in her seat beside him, her eyes darting all over her surroundings. She wriggled her tied hands, stretching them.

"'Tension, 'tension," Barbossa announced, "I'm pleaaased to announce. We've got ourselves a cure!"

The crew cheered and banged on wooden tables in excitement. Reina took a deep breath. Timing was everything.

"And time has come finally...finally! For us to be free, of course. But not only to be free! To be the most powerful crew any world has ever seen! Worlds will be at my mercy!"

The crew roared and drinks flew across the room. Barbossa grabbed Reina by the collar. She heard the clank of his sword unsheathing and her pulse became an internal clock, taking note of every second that passed. It was now or never.

"To a new era!" He chanted, raising his sword.

"To a new—"

A burst of flames engulfed Barbossa, amplified by the goblet of alcohol in his hands. As he shrieked, a few of the pirates started throwing their drinks on him, which only fueled the fire.

"Where is she?!"

"There!"

Reina snaked past groups of pirates while sending Firaga spells behind her back. She was stopped by two well built crewmates glaring torturous murder. Many others ran past them out of the burning building while the remaining loyal encircled her. She coiled her knees, waiting for them to make their first strike.

A feral screech that raised the hair on Reina's arms reverberated in the air. There were sounds of slashing before bodies in front of her flew to the ground and revealed the source of the unearthly sound. Reina eyes grew in horror.

"Sora?!"

He was a Heartless. His lifeless expression framed hollow eyes that belonged to a wooden doll, not him. Wisps of Darkness pulsated from his enveloped body and clothing like they were rejoicing in conquering his heart. His body was heaving, full of rage.

*_It really is him…_*

Before she could even blink, he pushed past her and leaped onto an approaching pirate's shoulders. Sora grabbed his head and spun him, breaking his neck. The pirate's body fell to the ground with a thud. He slashed any that were nearby with dagger-like claws, letting fresh blood splatter the floor. The crew looked at each other, aghast; his touch disregarded the immunity the curse gave them.

Knowing what was best for them, they fled. Sora didn't try to follow them and instead gazed at Reina, who emerged from under a table and grimaced at the chaos' impact. The blaze she started was quickly devouring the battered tavern, taxing her breathing and eyesight. She almost flinched to see Sora in his Heartless state.

He shook violently, as if he were about to explode. Reina carefully took a step toward him but was met by instant reaction.

Before she could even gasp, Reina felt his sharpened claws rip through the skin along her jaw. Blood streamed down her chest and splattered onto wooden floor. She cried out as she slammed into the railing of the burning stairs and took in a cloud of smoke and ashes.

He was fixed on his spot, like a predator waiting to pounce on prey. She tried to dive under another table when she felt the skin on her chest tear into three gaping, freshly crimson gashes. Falling face first onto the floor, she turned to see his vicious leer bore into her terrified, defeated pleas for help. His arm was raised to strike again and Reina shut her eyes, steeling herself.

"Sora!" her agonized wail echoed throughout the tavern.

There was near silence. She was too terrified to recognize that the next voice was one she was familiar with.

"Reina…?"

Her eyes flew open and saw Sora's characteristic sapphire eyes widen into pools of intense confusion and apprehension.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled, helping her up, "C'mon!"

* * *

Sora and Reina ran into a silent road far from the tavern. For moments, the sounds of coughing and panting were the only sounds to fill the cool night air. Reina pressed her back against with a wall with a Potion and faced away from Sora.

She heard a muted click and felt the weight on her hands release. The chains binding her fell to the ground with a satisfying _thunk_.

"T-thanks." Reina muttered, too preoccupied with massaging her wrists to meet Sora's anxious, searching eyes.

"You're bleeding!" He cried, pulling a curtain of hair away from the cut across her jaw. He pulled back when she winced at his touch.

"I'm fine now."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying. Let's just go home."

Sora crossed his arms, adamant. "Aren't you going to tell me _anything_?"

"About what?"

"You can't be kidding me." He scowled, "I found you in a alone, in burning building, _bleeding_, and I have no idea how either of us—"

Reina heard a sharp intake of breath and looked up to see something shatter in Sora's eyes. He stepped away from her, a glint of disgust in his eyes.

"I…did this?"

Reina's speechlessness was answer enough for him. She didn't want him to know, at least until she had a chance to wrap her head around the matter herself.

His eyes tore away from her in shame. "Darkness won…"

Reina remembered the Darkness she felt from Sora's body on the other ship. She tried to rest a hand on his shoulder, but he jerked away from her.

"I was too weak. I let it consume me and…I hurt you. I let it happen!"

"Look, you can't blame yourself, don't—"

"You could've _died_!" He yelled, his frustration flushing his cheeks. "It would've been my fault! Just because I…"

He broke off, anger getting the best of his tongue. His eyes glared at the ground with such intensity that he could have been asking it to split apart. It seemed to him that all of the training he had, every obstacle passed, every trial conquered had amounted to nothing because he had failed to protect his own heart. He felt useless.

Reina took a deep breath. "But you're here now. You chose Light, you always have. That's what matters."

She stepped toward him and took his hands. In her eyes was nothing but warmth, something he could feel pulsating from her palms into his, chiseling away his anger like soft rain.

"Sora, I…I saw you. You said you were sick, but now I know you've been fighting it for days. Anyone would be exhausted. Especially when they're fighting by themselves."

"I—"

"You probably forgot that you're not alone. You never were. I would've stayed by your side even if you stayed a Heartless, okay? Don't forget that. Ever."

Sora stared at her with mixed disbelief and oceans of gratitude. The tiny, wandering voice inside his heart had been magnified to vanish any doubts and fears he had about himself. The Light in his heart was rekindled with a fire burning more brightly than he'd ever known. He believed he could conquer anything.

"Thank you." He whispered. Reina's lips curved mischievously.

"You're not off of the hook! Before I let you go, I need to see you smile."

"Seriously?" Sora tried rolling his eyes, but failed to hide the obvious joy in them.

"Yeah, or else you're stuck with me until you do!"

Sora made the most menacing smile he could muster and leaned in close to her face.

"Okay, I get it! I get it!" Reina laughed as she leaned away. Sora couldn't help but join her, feeling more free than he had in days. He suddenly realized something and looked around.

"Hey, where's Donald and Goofy?"

Reina grimaced. "It's a long story …We should go find them, huh?"

They started walking. "Give me the short version then."

"For one, Donald's gonna kill me…"

* * *

_**Author's Note!**_

Here it is! This chapter was waaaay harder than I expected, but I'm happy that it's finally done.

Just to be clear, the part where Sora is fighting Roxas (the blond) is inside Sora's heart.

So, here are some questions...any idea on Reina's connection to Yuuta? How about Roxas? I would love to know! Don't hesitate to send me any suggestions, ideas, or comments!

~narcotic-lullaby


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